News

Get #FirstDay2021 ready for the new school year

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 14:22:40 AEDT

Be prepared for the new school year with our back to school tips and tools.

The start of a new school year can be both an exciting and demanding time for parents and students alike.

Our parents and carers Back to school hub can help you prepare for the year ahead with practical articles, tools, activities, calendars and checklists so you and your child can be ready from day1, term 1.

Find out about our COVID-safe school guidelines, download fun activity sheets to complete with your child, read about our health and wellbeing resources and more.

If your child is starting kindergarten, check out our starting school guide for everything you need to know from enrolment to what to expect throughout your child’s first school year.

Video – #FirstDay2021

Duration – 0:49

Schools Spectacular remixed for television

Thu, 03 Dec 2020 13:28:02 AEDT

Relive memorable acts and performances from the past four years in a special televised Schools Spectacular event.

The annual Schools Spectacular, cancelled this year due to the pandemic, will entertain audiences with a special television broadcast next week.

The Schools Spectacular 2020 Remixed will air on Channel 7 on Saturday 5 December at 7pm.

The two-hour broadcast will feature memorable acts and spectacular moments from the past four years.

The show will also feature a surprise digital performance from this year’s graduating Class of 2020 with the Year 12 students sharing their passion and talents while celebrating with NSW Education for one last time.

This technical feat aims to inspire audiences as more than 70 dancers, singers, instrumental musicians and signing performers from across NSW assemble virtually for the performance.

Mark Scott, Secretary of the NSW Department of Education, said this event is an opportunity to revisit memories of past performances and celebrate the talents of students in NSW public schools.

“Schools Spectacular 2020 Remixed will be an extraordinary broadcast and a unique opportunity to look back at some of the many achievements of our talented performing arts students and their hard working and committed teachers from the past four years,” he said.

Audiences can also share their own memories and see highlights from past Schools Spectacular performances on the Schools Spectacular Facebook page.

Schools Spectacular Remixed 2020 is produced by the NSW Department of Education and proudly supported by Presenting Partners, Telstra and the NSW Teachers Federation, and Segment Partner, RØDE Microphones.

Celebrate Schools Spectacular 2020 Remixed on Saturday 5 December at 7pm on Channel 7.

Supporting effective learning at school and home with the 'What Works Best: 2020 update'

Thu, 03 Dec 2020 11:17:11 AEDT

The ‘What Works Best: 2020 update’ outlines the eight most effective teaching practices and how these can be supported at home.

Parents and carers can support effective student learning at home through the ‘What Works Best’ resource, now updated for 2020.

The What Works Best resource has been very successful helping teachers bring the best teaching practices into their classrooms. The ‘What Works Best: 2020 update’ outlines eight evidence-based teaching practices that teachers can use in their classrooms to improve student learning.

You can find out more about these practices, how it’s used in schools, our handy guide for parents and carers and conversation tips to help continue student learning at home when you visit the ‘What Works Best’ parents and carers hub.

Supporting effective learning at school and home with the ‘What Works Best: 2020 update’

Fri, 27 Nov 2020 13:39:49 AEDT

The ‘What Works Best: 2020 update’ outlines the eight most effective teaching practices and how these can be supported at home.

Parents and carers can support effective student learning at home through the ‘What Works Best’ resource, now updated for 2020.

School Updates App - be prepared for any emergency

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 12:46:33 AEDT

Receive notifications of school closures. Opt in to receive timely, accurate notifications about the operational status of your chosen NSW public school(s).

The NSW School Updates App was created to help our parents and carers check on the status of their school during last summer’s bushfire season. And it’s been invaluable during COVID when schools were required to close for deep cleaning.

The app is free and available now for iOS and Android users.

Visit NSW School Updates App to download and for more information

Privacy information

The app doesn't store any personal or identifiable information.

Join in the virtual NAIDOC Week celebrations

Mon, 09 Nov 2020 16:47:58 AEDT

Education celebrates NAIDOC Week 2020 (8 – 15 November 2020) with the theme ‘Always Was, Always Will Be’.

It’s a time to reflect and celebrate the history, culture and achievements of the First Nation peoples – recognising them as the traditional owners of the land.

Schools were invited to film and submit videos to celebrate history, culture and achievements of past and present Aboriginal and Torres Strait students.

Secretary, Mark Scott will give an opening address on Monday, 9 November and then Aboriginal students run a Question and Answers session with Mark Scott, Cindy Berwick, President of the NSW AECG; Martin Graham, Deputy Secretary; Michelle Hall, Executive Director, Connecetd Communities and Karen Jones, Executive Director, Aboriginal Outcomes and Partnerships.

Tuesday will showcase how NSW public schools are embedding Aboriginal cultural practices. Special thanks to; Windale Public School Preschool, Terrigal Public School, Wilcannia Central School and Murrumbidgee Regional High School for participating.

Wednesday will highlight the outstanding achievements of Benson Igua Saulo, In-coming Consul-General to the US based in Houston (2021), as his is interviewed by current students from his former schools, Tamworth High School and Peel High School.

Thursday will see Uncle Michael Jarrett deliver a Gumbaynggirr language lesson.

Friday will close out our virtual celebration with a beautiful virtual choir led by Uncle Archie Roach. Students will join him singing ‘Took the children away’ and ‘Children came back’.

Join the virtual celebration via video streams hosted by Aboriginal Outcomes and Partnerships , each weekday morning, at 9:30am, during NAIDOC Week 2020.

2021 term dates now available

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 15:26:38 AEDT

Most students start Friday 29 January (or Friday 5 February for Western division) in Term 1 2021.

To support a strong start to 2021, school staff will now have two school development days at the beginning of Term 1.

For 2021, students will return to school on Friday 29 January (or Friday 5 February for Western division), unless otherwise notified by the school. School term dates for 2021 are now available.

Western division schools, also known as ‘late start’ schools, are located in the far western region of NSW. Check if your school is a Late start school.

Maths Trains Brains for the future

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 17:42:25 AEDT

Parents and carers can now explore the importance of mathematical skills with the new Everyday Maths experience, featuring activities, resources and explainers targeted to year groups.

The digital launch is part of the NSW Mathematics Strategy 2025, which aims to strengthen mathematics teaching in NSW public schools, promote understanding of the usefulness of mathematics and build positive perceptions of mathematics.

Tune into Education LIVE to find out how high profile Australians like media guru Kellie Hush, former Olympian Steve Solomon and former Masterchef Alice Zaslavsky use maths in their everyday lives.

Video – #MathsTrainsBrains

Duration – 1:00

Have your before and after school care needs changed?

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 10:37:23 AEST

The Department of Education wants to hear from all NSW parents about their specific care needs in light of COVID-19.

The NSW Government is committed to making before and after school care available to families at all NSW public primary schools, but we understand your work arrangements and care needs may have changed due to COVID-19.

To better understand how parents can best be supported to access the before and after school care, the department and Service NSW have developed a short survey.

Have your say:

visit service.nsw.gov.au/basc
email BASCreform@det.nsw.edu.au.

Updates to COVID-19 restrictions affecting NSW schools

Tue, 21 Jul 2020 22:52:38 AEST

Latest COVID-19 case locations in NSW

NSW Health has a website to inform you of the actions you should take if you have been in a location where there have been confirmed cases of COVID-19 within NSW. Monitor the site and follow the relevant health advice if you have been at any of the locations at the specified dates and times.

Students and staff who have travelled through or visited Victoria

All students and staff who have visited Victoria must have a permit to enter NSW and are required to self-isolate for 14 days.

Except for students and staff who reside in a border town, all students and staff who have visited Victoria in the 14 days before the commencement of school should not attend school until they complete the 14 days self-isolation period since they left Victoria.

Students and staff who are unable to return to school due to these self-isolation requirements will be supported to learn and work remotely during the self-isolation period via the online learning hubs until they return to on-campus learning and teaching.

NSW Health has requested anyone who has been in Victoria and is unwell or has flu-like symptoms arrange to be tested through their local medical practitioner or one of the COVID-19 clinics.

Refer to current advice for people who have recently visited Victoria.

Information for students and staff on new NSW-Victoria border restrictions

The NSW Government has announced further tightening to the restrictions for people travelling across the NSW-Victorian border.

From midnight Tuesday 21 July a border zone, defined along the Murray River, will be established.

Anyone travelling from Victoria to NSW must apply for a new permit through Service NSW.

Victorian residents who have been in one of the restricted areas in Victoria in the last 14 days must not enter NSW.

Attending schools along the border

Current permits will expire at midnight, Tuesday 21 July. We strongly encourage all parents and staff to check they have a permit and if not, apply for one through Service NSW.

Students and staff who reside in Victoria will need to be eligible for a border permit to attend school in person.

Under the new public health order, the border zone has been reduced significantly.

Not all students and staff may be eligible for a border permit under the public health order. If you are not eligible for a border permit you will not be able to cross the border. Students and staff will be supported through remote learning and working via the online learning hubs until they return to school.

Further information on the new border zone is available from Service NSW.

Border permits can be rescinded at any time if a cluster outbreak in your community occurs. We encourage parents to monitor local circumstances regularly as things may change in the coming days or weeks.

Transport to and from school will run as scheduled. For travel advice to and from school refer to Transport for NSW.

New restrictions affecting boarding schools

Any student returning from Victoria to reside at a boarding school in NSW must now self-isolate for 14 days in a NSW location separate to the boarding school. They must also obtain a negative test swab from day 10 of their isolation before entering school and have written confirmation of the test result and the period spent isolating.

Those who are unable to return to boarding while they are completing the self-isolation period will be supported through remote learning and working via the online learning hubs until they return to school.

More information

Returning to school in Term 3

Fri, 17 Jul 2020 10:11:37 AEST

Our school will be open to welcome students back to onsite learning from the beginning of Term 3 – Tuesday 21 July 2020.

As you would be aware the border between NSW and Victoria closed as of 12:01am 8 July 2020.

All staff and students returning from Victoria after this time must have a permit to enter NSW and are required to self-isolate for a period of 14 days.

All students who have been in Victoria in the last 14 days before the commencement of school must not attend school until they complete the 14 days self-isolation period since they left Victoria.

NSW Health has requested anyone who has been in Victoria and is unwell or has flu-like symptoms arrange to be tested through their local medical practitioner or one of the COVID-19 clinics.

Refer to current advice for people who have recently visited Victoria.

Students who are unable to return to school due to the border closures or self-isolation will be supported to learn remotely.

We would like to remind our community the most important action you can take is to practise good hand hygiene and physical distancing. Our school will be vigilant in implementing these requirements to minimise the risk at school.

Curriculum reform focuses on deep learning

Thu, 25 Jun 2020 15:08:03 AEST

Changes to the NSW school curriculum will be the biggest education shake-up in 30 years.

The reforms, announced by the NSW Government on Tuesday, will start rolling out in 2021. All Kindergarten to Year 12 students will learn the new curriculum by 2024.

The changes are in response to the NSW Curriculum Review by Professor Geoff Masters and will ensure every student is prepared and ready for their future.

The reforms are based on:

decluttering the curriculum by reducing unnecessary subjects
a ‘back to basics approach’ that will see a renewed focus on the core subjects of English, maths and science
Year 11 and Year 12 prequalification for university and TAFE courses.

Education Week to celebrate learning together

Fri, 19 Jun 2020 08:59:30 AEST

Education Week 2020 will be held from Monday 3 August to Friday 7 August.

Education Week is our annual week of celebration to highlight the achievements of our students and staff and the role of public schools as the cornerstone of their communities.

This year’s theme is ‘Learning together’ and it reflects the incredible months of 2020 where NSW public school students have continued to learn and achieve, despite natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our schools have experienced significant disruption but our staff – in partnership with parents and carers – have worked tirelessly to ensure that high quality teaching and learning has continued for all students.

Department of Education Secretary Mark Scott said the best learning takes place when there is a partnership of students, teachers, parents, carers and the community.

“Our schools and families benefit from strong, respectful relationships where responsibility for student learning is shared,” Mr Scott said.

“As our lives slowly return to normal, it’s time for us to reflect on the achievements and resilience of our entire school community. We look forward to celebrating Education Week with all of you in August.”

Statewide events for Education Week include:

a live stream launch on Monday, 3 August
activities for National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day on Tuesday, 4 August
a live streamed student film festival on Wednesday, 5 August.

Schools are invited to share photos, videos and stories of local celebrations on social media using the hashtag #EdWeek20 or send an email to educationweek@det.nsw.edu.au.

NSW students return to the classroom full-time

Tue, 19 May 2020 08:55:52 AEST

Students across NSW will be back in the classroom full-time from next Monday, 25 May.

The success of the phased return to face to face teaching has demonstrated the education system and community are ready for school to come back full-time.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell thanked school communities and parents for their patience during this difficult time.

Ms Berejiklian said a return to full-time face to face teaching and learning is crucial for the education progress of every child in NSW from Kindergarten to Year 12.

“Since starting a managed return to the classroom, we have seen a strong degree of confidence from our school communities in managing COVID-19 and a clear desire for all students to be back at school,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“We expect schools to stick with the health advice – increased cleaning, access to hygiene supplies and compliance with hygience practices – and look forward to seeing all students back on campus five days a week.

“The health advice is very clear; a return to full-time face to face teaching is safe.”

Over the last two weeks schools have been working hard to support students practise good hygiene and implement new routines at school, which has been successful giving the community confidence that full-time face to face teaching can resume.

Ms Mitchell said she was eager to see students back in the classroom full-time.

“Our principals, teachers, support staff, parents and carers have gone above and beyond to continue the education of our students while we respond to this pandemic,” Ms Mitchell said.

“My priority is the education of our children. We know that parents across NSW share our desire for students to be back in school, and that is our expectation.

“Schools will need to maintain the measures and precautions they have put in place for the foreseeable future, including no assemblies and excursions.

“Teachers will be focused on identifying where their students are at in their education and we will be supporting them to recognise and assist those students who need additional help.”

Read the department's latest advice for families.

Keeping our school COVIDSafe

Tue, 12 May 2020 14:40:30 AEST

Help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community by downloading the app.

Social distancing and washing your hands remain the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The COVIDSafe app, developed by the Australian Government, helps to reduce the spread by allowing health experts to find close contacts faster and more accurately.

The app does not track your location. It uses your phone's Bluetooth to record other users you come into contact with, so if they test positive, NSW Health can let you know.

Find out more:

Students begin return to classrooms

Fri, 08 May 2020 17:31:05 AEST

From Monday 11 May (Week 3) students will begin a phased return to school.

The phased return will maintain distancing in the classroom while supporting students' education and wellbeing.

Most students will continue learning from home and will only attend school 1 day each week.

Our school will continue to provide detailed information about the return to the classroom throughout the rest of Term 2.

Measures to keep schools clean and safe for all students and staff include:

25% more cleaning time focused on high-touch areas
priority deliveries of hygiene supplies including soap and hand sanitiser
local school changes to pick up, drop off, lunch and recess times and processes.

Religion and ethics lessons continue at home

Tue, 05 May 2020 10:38:54 AEST

Students learning from home can continue to access Special religious education (SRE) and Special education in ethics (SEE) classes.

Face-to-face SRE, SEE and Voluntary student activities of a religious nature in schools (VSA) will not be available until schools resume normal operations.

In response to requests from school communities, SRE and SEE approved providers are delivering their authorised curriculum with modifications to allow students to learn from home from the start of Term 2.

The lesson content and the mode of delivery has been reviewed and modified for easy access by students. The approved providers recognise that learning at home will not replicate face-to-face learning at school.

The learning from home SRE and SEE programs are now available:

Tune in at 8.45am to NSW Education LIVE

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 18:43:50 AEST

To welcome our students back for Term 2, join us at 8.45am from Wednesday 29 April to Friday 8 May for a special live stream.

Musician Guy Sebastian, TV foodies Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and Manu Feildel, Gardening Australia host Costa Georgiadis, Sydney Swans player Ollie Florent, and our very own Eddie Woo, have donated their time to kick start learning from home each morning from 29 April - 8 May.

Tune in each day at 8:45am. We can't wait to see you!

NSW students to transition back to the classroom in Term 2

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 09:04:29 AEST

NSW school students will gradually transition back to the classroom during Term 2 as the Government continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell outlined the plan for students attending NSW public schools to progressively return to face-to-face learning in week three of Term 2.

Ms Berejiklian said health advice continues to be that schools remain open, and parents, teachers and students can be confident that school is safe place.

“We are grateful to all families who kept their children home from school at the end of Term 1 and to teachers who worked tirelessly to deliver education online,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“This allowed us critical time to prepare our schools to develop better online learning options and for considering additional hygiene measures to allow schools to return.

“We know that nothing is more important than a child’s education, and we must begin to return our students to their classrooms in a considered way.

“Under these changes, from week three of Term 2, every student will be attending school for one day a week.

“We will look to increase the number of days students are at school in a staged way and hope to have all children back at school full-time by Term 3.

“I’d like to thank the Catholic and Independent schools for working with the NSW Government at this time, as well as staff, including teachers, principals and cleaners, for working so hard to prepare for a resumption of school.

“I’d also like to thank parents for what has been a tough month, often juggling working from home and caring for children. We hope the partial resumption of on campus learning will provide some much needed relief to those families.”

During the first stage of on-campus learning, parents will be encouraged to keep their children home except on their allocated day of face-to-face learning. Initially, about a quarter of a school’s students are expected to be on site at any one time. The specific days students will be required to attend school each week will vary from school to school and will be clearly communicated to parents.

Classes will be split across schools, allowing schools to appropriately social distance students and teachers.

As always, schools will remain open for students who need them and no child will be turned away from school.

Ms Mitchell said careful consideration had been given to support the school community, providing clarity and certainty on the path forward.

“This plan provides a clear path that balances community concerns with a need to deliver continuity of quality education,” Ms Mitchell said.

“Hand sanitiser will be available in all classrooms and provisions are in place for at-risk teachers to work from home. Drop off, pick up, recess and lunchtimes will also be staggered to ensure social distancing.”

In addition to the staged return to school, the NSW Government has committed up to $95.7 million to help keep casual and temporary school staff engaged in active work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our casual and temporary teachers and other non-teaching staff across NSW schools are critical to our education system, and will help ensure the educational outcomes for our students during this staged return,” Ms Mitchell said.

A cross-sector working group of teachers will also be established to report back to the Minister on recent innovations and educational developments assembled during the COVID-19 period that are suitable to support future educational delivery.

“It’s important that we have an inventory of the cutting edge teaching solutions and recognise the best efforts of our amazing NSW teachers during a difficult time,” Ms Mitchell said.

Teachers will have an additional day to prepare for Term 2 on Tuesday 28 April making the first day of term for students Wednesday 29 April.

Latest advice

Get up-to-date information about the department's response to COVID-19 (novel coronavirus).
Explore the department's learning from home resources for teachers and parents to support both online and offline learning for all students.

Keep your family entertained these school holidays

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 16:21:24 AEST

We know it’s been a challenging Term 1. Just as many communities began recovering from fires, droughts and floods, we moved to learning from home to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The school holidays are coming, which means your family is about to have a lot of free time and nowhere to go.

To support you while looking after children we’ve put together a handy guide of activities to stimulate young minds and keep your family busy and engaged.

Check out our parents and carers toolkit for important self-care tips, free parenting podcasts and apps.

If you need a break, the Service NSW before and after school care finder can help locate vacation care programs near you.

No child will be turned away from school

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 10:26:38 AEDT

The NSW Department of Education's advice regarding schools is very clear. No child in NSW will be turned away from school.

Schools will remain open for parents who want their children to attend irrespective of their profession or working arrangements.

The decision to keep schools open has been made based on advice from NSW Health, which has not changed.

The department will provide continuity of learning for all students both on and off campus and the Premier, for practical reasons, has encouraged parents to keep their children at home if they could.

Schools will communicate directly with parents on what learning options are available using their communication methods such as the school website, newsletters, emails and other online tools.

Latest advice

Get up-to-date information about the department's response to COVID-19 (novel coronavirus).
Explore the department's learning from home resources for teachers and parents to support both online and offline learning for all students.

New COVID-19 restrictions begin as schools move towards online learning

Mon, 23 Mar 2020 16:25:42 AEDT

The NSW Government has taken significant new steps to increase restrictions across the state - triggering the next level of enforcement necessary to fight COVID-19.

Following the decisions made by National Cabinet, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed the shutdown to protect NSW citizens.

"I understand many in the community are worried, and these changes will affect everyday lives, and may be upsetting," Ms Berejiklian said.

"But these decisions will make us all safer, they are taken with the health of all citizens in mind, and they must be taken now.

"If you have the capacity to work from home, you should do so."

In line with health advice, from midday today, the following non-essential activities and businesses will be temporarily shut down:

pubs, registered clubs
gyms, indoor sporting venues
cinemas, entertainment venues, casinos, and night clubs
restaurants and cafes will be restricted to takeaway and/or home delivery
religious gatherings, places of worship (excluding small weddings and funerals that comply with the 4m2 rule, which can proceed).

It is important to note essential gatherings at places such as hospitals, workplaces, constructions sites and for public transport are exempt and will continue.

As confirmed last night by the Prime Minister schools will remain open, based on health advice, which has not changed.

But from tomorrow, in NSW, for practical reasons, parents are encouraged to keep their children at home.

"Because nearly 30 per cent of children are already being kept out of school, for practical reasons NSW is encouraging parents to keep their children at home," Ms Berejiklian said.

"This will ensure there is only one unit of work, whether the student is at home or at school.

"No child will be turned away from school."

Latest advice

Get up-to-date information about the department's response to COVID-19 (novel coronavirus).
Explore the department's learning from home resources for teachers and parents to support both online and offline learning for all students.

Schools to implement distancing measures

Sun, 15 Mar 2020 20:09:17 AEDT

The NSW Department of Education is introducing proactive measures to limit the impact of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in our schools.

Mark Scott, Secretary of the Department of Education, today announced that schools would adopt social distancing measures requiring them to cancel assemblies, excursions, travel, some events and conferences.

Mr Scott said these measures are precautionary and designed to reduce exposure via non-essential gatherings.

"Schools have been a focus of the community and the government as the impacts of coronavirus have developed globally," Mr Scott said.

"From Monday onwards, I expect school assemblies and substantial gatherings to be cancelled, along with all excursions.

"The community expects schools to be as safe as possible. We are implementing these measures to provide peace of mind for students, parents and staff."

"These cancellations also extend to inter-school arts, sports, initiative activities and events.

All major arts, sports and initiative activities and events will temporarily be ceased until further notice. This includes whole-school sporting events and inter-school events involving three or more schools.

"Local inter-school sport and other activities can proceed, but we ask organisers to ensure that as far as possible, reasonable precautions are taken," Mr Scott said.

"I trust our principals and staff to show leadership during this time."

Schools will be provided with more detailed advice and suggestions on how they can adjust their day to day activities with minimal disruption.

The department is continuing to prepare for further closures if necessary with scaling up of technology, additional training of staff and preparation of offsite lessons.

Families and students in self-isolation can find useful information to continue learning from home.

For the latest information, check COVID-19 advice for schools.

Coronavirus - Department of Education statement

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 18:49:03 AEDT

The department is working with the Ministry of Health to monitor and respond to the unfolding international novel coronavirus situation.

Get up-to-date information about the department's response to novel coronavirus.

#Ready2020 – a great year starts here

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 12:52:13 AEDT

Starting school is a big moment in a child’s life. Here’s how to make the most of it.

We can’t wait for you to join us for a great year – the first step towards a lifelong love of learning.

Visit the department’s primary school resources for hints, tips and checklists to make a great start to the new school year, whether your child is starting Kindergarten or Year 6.

You’ll find:

Getting ready for primary school booklet – everything you need to be #Ready2020
Daisy’s First Day – the story of Daisy the koala’s first adventure at Kindergarten
advice from teachers – they’ve been through this before.

Video – #Ready2020: First day of Kindy

Duration – 1:00

Staying healthy into the new school year

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 16:05:29 AEDT

Immunisation is a simple, safe and effective way to protect your family from harmful diseases this holiday season and into 2020. Visit your doctor for general health and vaccination advice.

Immunisation not only protects you and your family but also others in your community, by reducing the spread of preventable diseases.

Children starting school in 2020 must have up-to-date immunisations to enrol.

These vaccinations help protect children from highly infectious and severe diseases including whooping cough and measles.

Travel health

If you’re travelling overseas during the school holidays, you may need vaccinations or medication – both for general health protection and for region-specific diseases.

If you’re travelling to the Northern Hemisphere, you may even need a flu shot.

Find out more about staying healthy while travelling.

NSW schools respond to bushfires

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 16:34:12 AEDT

Many schools are responding to the catastrophic fire rating that is affecting communities across the state this week.

We are continuously updating the School safety page with a list of government and non-government schools, as well as TAFE NSW campuses that are currently non-operational.

While some schools are temporarily non-operational due to localised fires, many others in high-risk areas are non-operational as a precautionary measure.

Schools in some areas are being used as emergency evacuation centres at the direction of the Rural Fire Service.

For schools that are currently operational, school pickups and dropoffs will continue as usual. If your school is currently non-operational, it will likely remain so tomorrow.

Large scale distressing events affect our school communities in many ways. Headspace’s mental health support resource (PDF 100.52KB) is available to help students, teachers and school staff respond to the bushfires.

Visit the School safety page for updates. The department’s Facebook and Twitter accounts will also provide updates during this period.

Grab a ticket to Schools Spectacular 2019

Tue, 15 Oct 2019 11:03:59 AEDT

Will you be joining us at Schools Spectacular 2019? Tickets are on sale now. Experience our live show featuring a cast of thousands of public school students from across metropolitan, rural and remote regions of NSW.

Students from different ages, cultures and backgrounds will share the spotlight as they dance, play and sing for you. Choose from one of our four massive performances at Qudos Bank Arena on Friday 22 November and Saturday 23 November.

This year's events will feature:

more than 380 schools
5,500 performers
a 3000-strong choir
2,300 dancers
an 80-piece symphony orchestra
a world-class stage band.

Group bookings

Need to make a group booking for over 10 people? Complete the Schools Preview Order Form 2019 (PDF 110KB) to attend the discounted 11am Friday matinee. The Friday matinee is discounted for school students and accompanying teachers.

If you’d like to grab a spot at one of the other three remaining shows complete the Group Booking Form 2019 (PDF 110KB).

Tickets for you and your family and friends

Save you and your family a spot online or by phone on 132 849.

Video – Schools Spectacular 2019

Duration: 0:26

Have your say on before and after school care

Fri, 13 Sep 2019 13:32:10 AEST

We want to better understand your needs for before and after school care in NSW.

Have your say today on before and after school care.

Fill out the survey by Service NSW to share your specific care needs and to register interest to stay informed of new developments.

Your input will provide insights into where there are gaps in service availability and help us to deliver extra places where they are needed.

You can also contact the team responsible for rolling out the before and after school care commitment at BASCreform@det.nsw.edu.au.

Book yourself in for Reading Hour

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 11:19:00 AEST

This Australian Reading Hour, encourage your child to discover or rekindle their love of a good book. Take the time to learn, escape and relax on Thursday 19 September and read for one hour.

Get involved at home

Join in at home and read your child a bedtime story. Studies show that reading a bedtime story six days a week can give kids almost a year’s head start when they begin school. Reading has also been shown to develop empathy, promote critical thinking and help children find a sense of self.

Join in from the classroom

Bestselling children’s author and illustrator Matt Stanton will broadcast live to primary school children across the country from the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday 17 September. We invite schools to register for the livestream of this free event.

Stanton’s author talk is among more than 140 events happening across the country involving more than 50 authors.

Take the Book Swap Challenge

We all have favourite books that we come back to again and again.

To help celebrate Reading Hour take our Book Swap Challenge. We want students, teachers, staff and parents to try reading something new on the day. To get involved, simply pair up with someone and swap your favourite books.

Take a photo and tag it with #ReadingHour so we can see how you got involved.

Video – #ReadingHour authors talk about their favourite place to read

Duration: 0:38

Looking for a good spot to open a book? We asked authors Benjamin Law, Morris Gleitzman, Jacqueline Harvey and Mick Elliott about their favourite place to read.

How to be smart and safe on social media

Thu, 05 Sep 2019 11:36:21 AEST

Use our new Digital Citizenship toolkit to empower your child to understand how their online behaviour affects themselves and others.

You and your child can find information on:

how to ‘be positive’ by understanding online behaviour and its effect
'be smart’ by thinking critically and being digitally aware
'be safe’ by protecting your security, privacy and wellbeing.

A toolkit to empower you and your child

You can find articles and videos to equip and empower your child to minimise the risks and maximise the opportunities in our digital future.

We’ve partnered with leading researchers to produce a curated toolkit – aligned to the curriculum – which teachers and you can share with the young people in your lives.

Guide your child through important concepts such as:

managing privacy settings in social media
collaborating online
avoiding scams and hoaxes
understanding the law when it comes to online speech
Internet banking, shopping online and much more.

Keep your child safe and happy online

Visit and bookmark the Digital Citizenship website. We’ll continue to add articles and resources to ensure the best possible tools are available to help you guide your child to be positive, smart and safe online.

Education Week – Every student, every voice

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 13:58:19 AEST

We are celebrating our students and their powerful voices this Education Week Monday 5 August to Friday 9 August. Every year Education Week celebrates the achievements of public schools, our students and the value of public education.

This year, the theme is Every student, every voice.

Join us for #EdWeek19 as we celebrate our students and their power to shape the world.

Video – #EdWeek19 – Every student, every voice

Duration: 0:34

Creative and Active Kids vouchers now available

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 11:31:36 AEST

Creative kids can now put a $100 voucher towards extra-curricular creative activities outside of school.

Together with Active Kids, this program aims to encourage more NSW children to participate in a range of extra-curricular activities such as coding, languages, circus, performing arts and visual arts.

Parents can apply for one $100 voucher for each child enrolled in school on the Creative Kids website and use it towards the cost of registration, participation or tuition. You just redeem the voucher with a registered provider in your area when making your payment.

This is a great opportunity for your child to become involved in a range of activities that will build on their education, growth and development.

Service NSW is working with industry bodies to deliver the program.

For more information, contact Service NSW on 137 788 or creativekids@service.nsw.gov.au.

The Game Changer Challenge is back

Fri, 31 May 2019 12:18:10 AEST

It’s not too late to become a Game Changer with applications for the Education Week challenge due by 7 June.

The Game Changer Challenge brings 16 teams from public schools across NSW – eight from primary and eight from secondary – to Sydney during Education Week in August for a three-day, intensive design-thinking workshop.

The Game Changer workshops, which start on Tuesday 6 August, includes teacher training in the use of design thinking as a teaching methodology and its application for school planning.

It also includes a team competition where schools will work under the guidance of experts from industry and academia to develop a solution to this year’s critical question: How might we humanise technology?

Department of Education Secretary Mark Scott has encouraged students and teachers to get behind the event as it highlights the critical thinking students will need to develop to succeed in the future.

“The Game Changer Challenge is an exciting initiative that helps educate and inform our students and teachers on how to integrate the problem-solving methodology of design thinking into the classroom,” Mr Scott says.

“It embraces the 21^st century skills our students will need to thrive in a globalised world such as collaboration, creative thinking and communication.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our students at all levels to be involved in discussing and addressing a real-world issue that will affect their future lives. I encourage every school to get involved.”

The challenge is designed to make strong learning and teaching connections to the NSW syllabus specifically in the area of developing general capabilities such as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, communication and problem-solving.

The challenge also provides teachers with an opportunity to gain exposure to the design thinking process and includes teacher resources to introduce this creative problem-solving methodology into the classroom.

Finalists will be selected based on a 60-second video that showcases your team’s vision around the question of humanising technology.

For more information email edweek@det.nsw.edu.au or visit the Game Changer Challenge page.

Your NAPLAN questions answered

Thu, 09 May 2019 15:01:07 AEST

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a point in time assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. The tests assess the foundational skills in reading, writing, spelling and numeracy that are essential for every child to progress through school and life.

This year NAPLAN takes place between 14 and 16 May for paper tests and between 14 and 24 May for schools participating in NAPLAN Online.

NAPLAN data is used to help monitor student progress over time against a national measure and to identify areas of strength and improvement. It is used in combination with other school assessments to guide and support student learning.

Watch students ask an expert the tough questions about NAPLAN.

Video – Kids ask the hard questions

Duration – 3:45

Apply now for My Community Project funding

Mon, 29 Apr 2019 15:05:43 AEST

Do you have a great idea to improve your area?

My Community Project is a new NSW Government funding program that is all about local ideas, local projects and local decisions.

You can apply now for grants from $20,000 - $200,000 for projects that will make a difference to your community. Projects could include new playground equipment, sports facilities, paths or ramps to improve access, public art or a community service.

The local community can vote for their favourite projects in July and successful projects will be announced in September.

Project applications close 15 May 2019.

Apply for My Community Project funding

Bring back memories, not measles

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 14:08:07 AEST

With school holidays just around the corner, it’s time to visit your doctor to check that you and your family are fully protected against measles, before you travel overseas.

Measles is a serious, highly contagious, viral illness that is easily spread through the air when an infectious person coughs, sneezes or breathes. If you and your family are not fully vaccinated, or have never been vaccinated, you are at risk of contracting measles.

Not sure if you’re fully protected?

In Australia, the measles vaccine (MMR) consists of 2 doses. If you’re not sure whether you’ve had 2 doses of the measles vaccine, visit your doctor. It’s safe to receive another dose.

Children born in Australia

If your children were born in Australia, they may have received the measles vaccine at 12 months old and the second dose at 18 months, in accordance with the National Immunisation Program.
If you have a baby under 12 months old, consult your doctor about getting their measles vaccination.

Adults born in Australia

Born before 1966 – you were most likely exposed to measles as a child and are generally considered to be immune. If in doubt, ask your GP.
Born between 1966 and 1994 – you may not have received 2 doses. Talk to your doctor about the free vaccine if you’re unsure.
Born after 1994 – the National Immunisation Program offers 2 doses, and you can check your vaccination status using the Australian Immunisation Register.

For more information about the measles vaccination, visit NSW Health or consult your local doctor.

5 road safety tips for parents and carers

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 13:12:45 AEDT

Now that students are back to school after a break it’s a good time to chat with your child about safe behaviours when you walk or commute to school.

Here are our top tips to help our students make a safe trip:

1. Be alert and aware

Take note of the dangers you come across on your walk and bring them to your child’s attention. Point out dangers, such as vehicles coming out of driveways. Talk to your child about being alert in a road environment.

2. Hold hands

When on the footpath, at a crossing or in a car park always hold your child's hand. It is advised to do this up to the age of at least 8 years old and closely supervise until at least the age of 10.

3. Choose a safe crossing

Lead by example and choose a safe place to cross the road. Explain why it is the safest place to cross.

4. Set a good example

Your child watches everything you do, so if you cross at the crossing they will too. It is also important to share these messages with other carers who may walk with your child to school.

5. Stop, Look, Listen, Think every time you cross the road

Discuss this important road safety message. STOP! one step back from the kerb. LOOK! continuously both ways. LISTEN! for the sounds of approaching traffic. THINK! whether it is safe to cross.

Practise makes perfect

The more supervised practice your child can get the better, so why not make Term 1 the start of a new routine to walk with your child to school more often.

Older children may be ready to make the journey to school independently. Before they take this step, observe if they are road safe and reinforce the road safety messages.

For more information, check out the department’s pedestrian safety advice for students, parents and carers.

Back to school

Fri, 25 Jan 2019 14:49:52 AEDT

The first day of Kindergarten and the return to school in the new year are busy times for your child – and for the entire family. To help you make the most of this time and enjoy the experience, we’ve compiled some useful tips and checklists. We want every student to be known, valued and cared for in our schools.

Our film #FirstDay2019 captures the excitement – and the nerves – of the rite of passage that is the first day of Kindergarten.

Video – Back to School 2019: First Day at Kindy

Duration – 1:00

2019 school budget allocations

Mon, 12 Nov 2018 12:20:21 AEDT

Like all NSW public schools, this week we will receive a School Budget Allocation Report with our funding for 2019. The report will help us manage our total budget delivered through the Resource Allocation Model (RAM).

The RAM supports schools through needs-based funding to ensure a fair, efficient and transparent allocation of funds. Our school has the flexibility to make local decisions based on the specific needs of our students.

We will use our 2019 funding to support students and improve educational outcomes. The school executive will continue to work with the school community as we implement the school plan using this needs-based funding.

Learn more about the 2019 RAM funding.

Selective high school applications for 2020 now open

Mon, 15 Oct 2018 10:10:53 AEDT

Following up from the note that went out last term, parents who wish to apply for their child to attend selective high school in 2020 must apply online by 12 November 2018.

All application must be submitted online through the selective high schools website https://www.shsocplacement.org.au/registration/ The application site will close at 10pm on 12 November 2018.

Please remember that the email address you register your application with is the email address that all future correspondance will be sent to and it must not be your child's det email address. More infomration about the application process is available HERE.

The Lion King Jr. Musical

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 10:56:33 AEST

Staff and students of BWPS have been working on our musical production of the Lion King Jr since December last year and it is now time for opening night! 35 students will be performing over three nights in our school hall.

Both the Wednesday and Friday shows are sold out and begin at 7pm. Thursday is an early show and begins at 5pm with limited seating still available. Please remember to bring your tickets (either printed or on your mobile device) and check the dates and times to ensure you arrive for the correct show.

Congratulations to all involved for months of hard work and dedication. It's going to be an amazing show!

Ready,Set, GO!

Thu, 26 Jul 2018 00:52:27 AEST

Next term we are offering a comprehensive school readiness program called 'Ready, Set, Go' which will be held on Fridays from 9am-10:45am in the Art Room. The program will be taught by Mrs Hofmeier and supported by two SLSO staff (student learning support officers.) It will focus on a variety of learning activities to promote school readiness, independence and self-confidence in students enrolled for Kindergarten, 2019 who are not attending pre-school on Fridays. There will be a small fee to partly subsidise the cost of staffing and general supplies.

As we are expecting more applicants than positions, we are opening for Expressions of Interest this Friday, 29th June. The policy, including the EOI form, will be available from the Office at 9am this Friday. Forms need to be completed and returned to the office by 9am the following Friday, 6th July.

Parent Online Payments Now Available

Thu, 26 Jul 2018 00:52:23 AEST

For your convenience, we are introducing online payments for school excursions and activities.

We will use the secure POP system – Parent Online Payments – which transfers you from the school website to a secure Westpac Bank site. You can do this on your smartphone, tablet or computer.

If you wish to use online payments there are certain requirements. You must fill in all fields (see attached) and you must enter the correct descriptions (as listed on the permission note). Also, if you forget to list the receipt number on the permission note we will not be able track your payment.

The instructions may seem complex to begin with but the process is really quite intuitive and once you have used the system once or twice it will be quite simple. The main thing is to remember the descriptions and receipt number.

Also note, there can be NO P&C payments through POP (e.g. P&C BBQs, raffle tickets, membership etc.) and if P&C payments are made by mistake there can be no refunds.

We will be asking for your feedback on this new system at some time in the future.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Felicity Bonello (Principal)

Parent Voice sessions

Thu, 26 Jul 2018 11:27:37 AEST

This week our parents and teachers will be working together to set student goals.

Road Safety

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:47 AEDT

Driving and parking safely near our school is an essential part of keeping our children safe and happy.

Mornings and afternoons are busy times for pedestrians and drivers outside of our school. With over 300 students (and parents) entering and leaving the school at the same time, there are bound to be issues with parking, pick ups and drop offs.

We encourage parents to familiarise themselves with the local road rules and parking restrictions to avoid both endangering students and receiving council fines.

You can help keep our children and community safe by remembering the following:

drop your child off and pick them up on the school side of the road - if you can not park on the school side, park and walk to the gate to pick up your child
never call out to them from across the road - it is very dangerous
always take extra care in 40km school zones
follow all parking signs - these help keep your child as safe as possible
park responsibly even if it means you have to walk further to the school gate
never double park - it is illegal and puts children at risk
never do a U-turn or a three point turn outside the school as it puts children at risk of harm
model safe and considerate pedestrian and driver behaviours to your child
always give way to pedestrians particularly when entering and leaving driveways
never park across or block neighbours' driveways

Presentation Day 2017

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:43 AEDT

Every year the BWPS community comes together to acknowledge and celebrate the amazing academic, sporting and social successes of our students. This year BWPS will be holding two separate Presentation Day assemblies to accommodate our growing school.

The Year 3-6 Presentation Day Assembly will be held from 9:30 am - 11:00 am in the school hall on Thursday 7th December. You can view the program for the primary assembly HERE.

The K-2 Presentation Day Assembly will be held from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm in the school hall on Thursday 7th December. You can view the program the program for the infants assembly HERE.

Canberra Overnight Excursion

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:26 AEDT

It's almost time to head off on our annual overnight excursion. This year we are visiting Canberra to learn about democracy and how our nation was built.

Over the two days we will have a very busy schedule visiting interesting and culturally significant landmarks such as: Parliament House, Old Parliament House, The Australian War Memorial, The National Museum of Australia and Questacon.

Please remember that the bus will be leaving school at 6:00am sharp on Thursday, 26th October - so don't forget to set your alarms.

While we understand this is early, all children will need to be at school at 5:45 am on this day as we must leave at 6:00 to ensure we are on time for our first booking at Parliament House. You can find more important information about this excursion over on the 'Notes To Parents' page of our website.

Selective High School - Year 7 2019

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:46 AEDT

Selective high schools cater for high achieving academically gifted students who may otherwise be without sufficient classmates at their own academic and social level.

These schools help gifted and talented students to learn by grouping them with other gifted and talented students, teaching them in specialised ways and providing educational materials at the appropriate level.

Applications for selective high school placement in Year 7 in 2019 MUST be completed online. The application site opens on 10th October 2017:

https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/selective-high-schools-and-opportunity-classes/year-7.

All applications must be completed online before the 13th of November 2017 and The Selective High School Placement Test is on 15 March 2018.

You can read more about the application process here: Applying for Selective H.S

Term 4 2017

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:50 AEDT

Welcome Back!

We hope everyone has enjoyed a safe and happy holiday over the past two weeks because this term is going to be a busy one.

This term we have: our overnight excursion to Canberra, the Impromptu Speaking Competition, nominations and elections for 2018 student leaders, Presentation Day, Semester 2 reports, the platinum reward excursion and the Year 6 Farewell.

To make sure you are up to date with all of the exciting opportunities provided at BWPS, make sure you check our website and School Dojo App regularly.

New Look Newsletter

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:36 AEDT

Now available every Monday on our school website.

Each week you will be able to see our week ahead newsletter which is a one page overview of upcoming events, important information and the successes of the past week here at BWPS.

You can find the link under the NEWSLETTERS tab at the top of the screen.

Parent Survey:Tell Them From Me

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:41 AEDT

This term, our school is taking part in the Tell Them From Me parent and carers survey. The survey is designed to measure, assess and report insights from the parent point of view about student wellbeing, engagement and effective teaching practices at Bankstown West PS.

The TTFM survey should only take roughly 10 minutes to complete and will provide us with valuable information we can use to improve our school. There is also an option on the front page to complete the survey in Arabic.

Follow this link to complete the Parent & Carer TTFM Survey

BWPS Photo Galleries

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:25 AEDT

Its been a very busy start to Term 3!

Students from Year 1-6 have had excursions and we've hosted the Superhero fundraiser for Bear Cottage as well as hosting our annual Education Week Open Day and book fair. . . and it's only Week 3!

You can stay up to date on all the amazing opportunities our students have here at BWPS by checking out our website calendar and see all the fun over on the Gallery page.

Recent photo gallery updates include: Super Hero Day, Education Week Open Day, Stage 2 excursion to Elizabeth Farm and Experiment Cottage in Parramatta and the Stage 3 excursion to the Australian Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour.

Check back for photos from the Stage 1 excursions to Wollondilly.

PaTCH Program

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:41 AEDT

Come and join us!

Would you like to know more about how and what students learn at school?
Would you like to learn how to help your own child at home?
Have you thought about volunteering at the school in classrooms?

At Bankstown West we value the role parents and caregivers play in supporting children's learning within and beyond the classroom.

Our school is proud to offer a program for parents called "The PaTCH program".

This program will give parents information about how children learn, and teach parents activities which may be good to use at home. We will also train parents to use those activities in the classroom with small groups of children.

If you are interested in finding out more about the PaTCH program at Bankstown West, we are holding an information session on Thursday 27^th July 2017 9.00 – 10.00 in the school library.

Come with a friend to listen to the details – no obligation to commit at all! Ms Webster and Mrs Floyd would love to see you.

Term 2 Week 9 Events

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:48 AEDT

Wednesday 21st is our NAIDOC Incursion - Please make sure you have sent the note, along with $7 to the office for your child/ren to be involved in this important cultural and educational experience.

All student reports for Semester 1 will be sent home on Thursday, 22nd June. Parents are strongly encouraged to make a time for parent/teacher interviews (held in Week 10) to discuss their child's academic, social and emotional progress.

Term 2 Week 5 Events

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:48 AEDT

It's another busy week of fun and learning at BWPS!

Tuesday 23rd of May: students K-6 will continue the Peer Support Program with lesson 3, 'Caring Friends'. Also, the ICAS Computer Test will be held today for those students who have enrolled and paid.

Wednesday 24th May: students K-6 are invited to wear their pyjamas to school today (with sensible shoes) in celebration of National Simultaneous Reading Day. All students will participate in the reading time after lunch.

Thursday 25th May: kindergarten students will travel to the farm today for their first school excursion. year 5 students will also be out of the school on an excursion today with CARES, a council supported initiative focusing on bike and road safety for kids. Don't forget your helmets!

Friday 26th May: all students who qualified will travel to the district cross country carnival to represent BWPS. Please note there is no PSSA today.

Term 2 Week 3 Events

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:47 AEDT

Week 3 is another busy week here at BWPS with NAPLAN, the beginning of Peer Support and Mothers' Day events all taking place.

Students are reminded to bring their money for the Mothers' Day stall on Monday 8th of May. Gifts are available for purchase from $2-$15.

Year 3 and Year 5 students will be sitting the NAPLAN tests on Tuesday (Language Conventions and Writing), Wednesday (Reading) and Thursday (Numeracy) this week. Please ensure your child brings 2 HB pencils and a rubber and arrives at school before 9am.

The BWPS P&C will also be meeting at 2:15pm on Wednesday this week and all parents and caregivers are invited to attend.

Stage 3 will be leading the Peer Support Program school wide starting on Tuesday this week with a focus on promoting harmony.

Term 2 Peer Support Program

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:47 AEDT

Promoting Harmony

Last week, Stage 3 students undertook two days of intensive leadership training in preparation for our Peer Support Program, which will run on Tuesday afternoons throughout Term 2.

The Peer Support program provides students with a supportive environment where children and young people develop skills, understandings, attitudes and strategies to improve their mental, social and emotional wellbeing.

The theme of this year's program is 'Promoting Harmony' and the lessons focus on the development of key skills such as:

relationship building
values clarification (care, respect, responsibility and a 'fair go' for all)
assertiveness
decision making

Positive relationships are developed across the school through a series of engaging activities with a range of students of all ages. The program enables participating students to contribute in an environment where all can join in. Students in Stage 3 will also develop their leadership skills as they lead their groups (8-10 students from K-5) through the eight learning sessions.

Measles Outbreak in Western Sydney

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:34 AEDT

There is currently an outbreak of measles in South Western and Western Sydney, with at least 9 people having acquired the disease in the region during March 2017.

NSW Health are offering FREE vaccinations (through your GP's) for people who are unsure if they have previously been vaccinated against this disease.

The first sign of measles is usually a high fever, a runny nose, cough, and red, watery eyes. The rash usually starts on the face and upper neck and spreads over the body, hands and feet. The rash lasts for 4-7 days.

People with measles symptoms should seek medical advice as soon as possible phoning the emergency department or GP beforehand, stay home from work or school, and limit other activities to avoid exposing others.

More information from NSW Health is available HERE .

Week 9 - Upcoming Events

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:49 AEDT

This is a reminder for the busy week ahead:
Tomorrow, Tuesday 21 March, is Harmony Day and children may wear orange or white. They must wear closed in shoes. If no orange or white then their regular uniform should be worn.

On Wednesday 22 March we have our school photos. Wear correct summer uniform and bring back the photo envelope whether you are buying photos or not.

Keep bringing in chocolate donations and purchased raffle tickets for our Easter Hat Parade. Remember, too, your order forms for a sausage sizzle on the day of the parade - Friday 7 April.

This week lunch order forms for a pizza meal deal at the upcoming Athletics Carnival will also go home. Look out for that.

So many great opportunities here at BWPS! Thank you for being part of it.

New School Uniform

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:36 AEDT

Remember, our fantastic new school uniforms are available to purchase from Saouma's School and Fashion Wear at Punchbowl.

We have had some great feedback from students and parents alike about the quality and comfort of the new uniform.

If you are interested in purchasing uniform items you can have a look at the Uniform Price List.

Location:

Shop 2/200, The Boulevarde, Punchbowl, NSW 2096

Phone: 02 9750 3276 or 02 9750 3275

Opening Hours:

Monday to Friday: 9.00 am to 5.00 pm
Saturday 9.00 am to 2.00 pm
Sunday CLOSED

ICAS Competitions

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:33 AEDT

ICAS Participant Information

The UNSW International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) for students from Year 3 to Year 6 will be offered at BWPS again this year.

Students can enroll to participate in a range of ICAS competitions including: Computer Skills, Writing, Spelling, English and mathematics.

All students who participate receive a certificate and an individual student report indicating which questions they answered correctly and their score compared with the rest of the students tested. The certificate and individual student report are also suitable for your child to include in a portfolio.

ICAS competitions are one of the many extra-curricula programs we run here at BWPS and it is important to remember that they are competitions, not assessments, and your child does not have to participate.

Please note that these exams are quite difficult and will not be suitable for all students.

If you would like your child to participate in the competitions, you can find the participant application over on the Notes to Parents page of our school website. Just print, complete and send in to the school office with the appropriate payment for your selected ICAS competitions before the 22nd of March 2017. .

School Zone Sign Upgrade

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:45 AEDT

Roads and Maritime Services will be upgrading the school zone signs on Dutton Street, between Marion
Street and Glassop Street sometime between Tuesday 14 February and Thursday 9 March.

This work includes removing and replacing the existing static signs with school zone signs with flashing lights.

This work will be carried out so that it does not impact the operations of school zone flashing signs
around BWPS.

Please be aware that there will be some footpath and lane closures while work is carried out, and there will be signposting and detours in place when required. Some parking spaces will also be unavailable during this period. We thank you in advance for your patience.

Anaphylaxis Awareness

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:22 AEDT

Anaphylaxis is a potentially life threatening, severe allergic reaction that should always be treated as a medical emergency. Anaphylaxis occurs after exposure to an allergen (usually to foods, insects or medicines), to which a person is allergic. Not all people with allergies are at risk of anaphylaxis.

As of this year we have students enrolled at Bankstown West who have a diagnosis of anaphylaxis. For this reason we must change some of our practices and procedures. Part of this involves educating all children and parents in the seriousness of this condition. Once we understand that death is a potential consequence we can do nothing less than wholeheartedly support these families, as is the Bankstown West way.

For this reason we have removed some items from the school canteen (e.g. zaatar) and we have asked parents to please stop sending to school lunches that include zaatar, peanut butter and Nutella. When children understand they are eating these foods for afternoon tea when they are at home rather than at school so that they are helping keep others safe, they are displaying respect and responsibility.

Please discuss this with your children to reinforce the message we are giving at school. It is easy for parents of a child with anaphylaxis to do all in their power to keep him or her safe. What makes us responsible members of our school community is our commitment to keep all children safe, even the ones we don't know personally.

2017 Holiday Planning

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:21 AEDT

Successful holidays require planning

We've all returned from our holidays safe and happy and ready to take on another fun and engaging year of learning at BWPS.

We'd like to take this opportunity to remind parents and caregivers that while family holidays can be fantastic learning experiences, they do need to be planned carefully to avoid having a negative impact on your child/ren's learning.

Please be aware the Department of Education expects families to schedule holidays during school vacation periods only. For children to succeed at school they must maintain regular attendance.

This year's school holiday periods can be found below to assist you in your planning.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

New School Uniforms for BWPS

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:36 AEDT

Students are getting an exciting upgrade to their uniforms in 2017.

Starting January next year, we will be rolling out our new and improved school uniforms across the school, starting with Kindergarten.

All Kindergarten students will begin 2017 in our new uniforms. However, if you would like to purchase these great new options for your children in grades 1-6, you are certainly encouraged to do so.

We are excited to announce that our new BWPS school uniforms will be available for purchase during the January school holidays from:

Saouma's School Uniform and Fashion Wear

SHOP 2/200 THE BOULEVARDE, PUNCHBOWL, 2196 (NEXT TO BROADWAY PLAZA)

PH: (02) 97503276

Visit Our Gallery Page

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:49 AEDT

Don't Miss Out!

Stay up to date with all of the wonderful events and programs we offer our community here at Bankstown West PS by visiting our Gallery pages.

Recent updates include: Presentation Day, Swimming Carnival, RESPECT Program, Environmental Club, Heroes Vs Villains Day and many more.

Respect Program at BWPS

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:44 AEDT

Type your heading here... use clear headings that mention the subject

This year, BWPS students have participated in the RESPECT program for the first time. The RESPECT program is a community project that teaches young students about fostering respectful relationships with women and girls, encouraging them to stand up against family violence.

It's an initiative of the Bankstown Youth Development Service and is federally funded through non-profit group,The Smith Family.

Over an eight week period, 12 boys from stage 3 worked with Mr Anasta and program coordinators to workshop ideas, write lyrics and film a music video. This culminated in an amazing performance at our whole school White Ribbon Day assembly where the boys role played and rapped about the need to end domestic violence. You can see their amazing performance on our Youtube page (link at bottom of Homepage).

Presentation Day 2016

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:42 AEDT

Join us on Wednesday, 30th November to celebrate the many successes of our students throughout 2016.

Parents and family members are invited to attend our annual Presentation Day ceremony in the school hall. This is one of the highlights of our year as we come together to celebrate the academic, social and sporting achievements of our amazing students.

You can see our program HERE.

BWPS Swimming Carnival

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:26 AEDT

On Tuesday 22nd November we will be holding our annual Swimming Carnival for students in Years 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

The carnival will be held at Birrong Leisure Centre, Willington Road, Birrong.

Year 1 to Year 5 students will depart school by bus at 11:30am and return at approximately 3:00pm.

Students attending the carnival are asked to dress in their house colours and wear swimwear underneath their school clothes. Recess will take place at school and students must bring their own lunch to the pool.

Please ensure that you have signed the swimming carnival note (with payment) and indicated your child's swimming ability by circling one of the three options. Please return the swimming carnival note no later than Wednesday the 16^th November.

If you have any questions regarding the carnival, please contact your child/ren's classroom teacher.

Heroes Vs Villains Day

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:33 AEDT

Buy Your Tickets for Press Start - the Musical!

We are so excited to be presenting our very first school musical this December. BWPS is proud to present, Press Start! A fun and entertaining musical about a group of video game heroes and villains.

On Wednesday, 16th November we are having Heroes vs Villains Day. Children can dress up as their favourite video game character and order their tickets for the musical.

Allocated seating will be based on a first come first serve basis, starting promptly at 8:30 am that Wednesday morning in front of the office.

Depending on demand, tickets may be available from the office after this day. Please make sure the order form (available in Notes to Parents) is filled out and the money is correct. We can accept cash only.

Adults / 12 years and up Tickets $10 each

3 – 12 year old Child Tickets $5 each

0-2 year olds Free - No seat will be allocated. Children must remain on parents' laps.

Go4Fun Fitness Program

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:30 AEDT

Free Healthy Kids Program

Go4Fun is a healthy lifestyle program for kids aged 7-13 above a healthy weight and their families.

At Go4Fun kids and parents learn about healthy eating and physical activity using fun, up-beat activities and games.

Go4Fun also helps build self-esteem and confidence in an encouraging and supportive environment.

Go4Fun runs after school during the school term for 10 weeks.

For more information visit: www.go4fun.com.au or call 1800 780 900.

Peer Support Begins at BWPS

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:41 AEDT

Our whole school started peer Support sessions this week.

The children will be participating in a new module, Moving Forward which focuses on resilience. The experiences in the module help children to identify their qualities and strengths, develop skills, respond with a range of strategies and seek support when faced with challenges.

In this week's session, the children established connections with the other members of their group and developed their group agreement to enable them to work well together.

They then discussed examples of challenging situations and some resilient and non resilient responses. A big thank you goes to our wonderful Stage 3 leaders.They underwent two full days of leadership training last week and did a fantastic job of leading their peer groups this week.

Selective High School 2018 Applications

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:45 AEDT

Applications for Year 7 Selective High School placement in 2018 are now open and will close on 14 November 2016.

Paper forms are no longer available and all applications must be completed online by the 14th of November.

Selective high schools cater for gifted and talented students who have superior to very superior academic ability which is matched by exceptionally high classroom performance.

If your child is in Year 5 this year and meets these requirements you can visit the Selective High Schools website to read more about placements or begin an application for your child.

Uniform Shop Update

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:49 AEDT

The school uniform shop has now closed.

While we are in the process of changing our uniform supplier, some articles with the school emblem can still be ordered via the front office.

Please enclose the order form (available on the Notes to Parents page of our website) and the exact money in an envelope and leave in the payment slot in the office. You will be advised of delivery.

N.B. Only cash transactions can be accepted at this time. No change can be given. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Tape the Teacher Fundraiser

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:47 AEDT

This Friday lunchtime, students will have the opportunity to participate in a FUNdraiser for our school drama club.

Students can purchase lengths of duct tape to tape a teacher to the wall. Tape can be purchased at lunch at the following prices:

$1 for 50cm of tape

$2 for 1m of tape

$10 for 6 x 1m pieces of tape

Remember, all money raised will go to supporting the drama club's first ever school play, Press Start - the Musical.

Important Parent Survey

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:33 AEDT

Help us out & have your say about our school.

We are asking ALL parents to participate in the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Survey.

It is a great opportunity to give feedback on our school, your experiences here and the experiences of your children.

The survey should only take about 15 minutes of your time but it will help provide us with clearer ideas of our planning needs for 2017. Your opinions count!

To complete the survey and have your say please visit this link: Parent Survey

It is 100% anonymous so please be honest and thoughtful in your responses.

Kindergarten Headstart Program

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:34 AEDT

BWPS' famous Kinder Headstart program is underway for another year.

Children enrolled to begin kindergarten at BWPS in 2017 are invited to attend six transition sessions throughout Term 3 and 4.

In these sessions, children and their families get a taste of kindergarten and can develop strong relationships with teachers, friends and families that will help support a smooth transition into 'big school' in 2017.

The next Headstart session will be held on Wednesday, 21^st September from 9am to 10:45am.

There will also be three sessions held in the first 3 weeks of Term 4 where students will continue with the Headstart program while parents are encouraged to attend our fantastic parent workshops in the school library.

Regional Athletics Carnival

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:44 AEDT

Congratulations to Tyrell A and Derek A for being selected to represent Bankstown West Public School at the up-coming Regional Athletics Carnival.

Both students qualified for this event after finishing in the top 3 in their respective finals at the District Athletics Carnival. Tyrell will be competing in the 100 metres race and Derek in the 200 metres. Good luck on the day boys!

OzTag Registration Day

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:39 AEDT

This term, Bankstown Oztag held free training workshops for students K-6 at BWPS.

Bankstown Oztag will be holding a FREE Come and Try day as well as Registration day on Thursday 22^nd September at O'Neil park Yagoona.

It would be a great opportunity for you to see how much fun your children can have playing Oztag this summer.

Oztag is a great summer sport with age divisions from U6 – U16.

You can participate between 4pm – 6pm and registrations will also be open if you wish to register your children. For more information go to www.oztag.com/bankstown.

Book Week Trivia Extravaganza

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:24 AEDT

Celebrating Book Week in BWPS Style

Today over 260 students participated in our first ever Book Week Trivia Extravaganza! This special event recognised the outstanding efforts of all students K-6 who completed the 2016 Premier's Reading Challenge.

Students worked in K-6 groups to answer fun literary based trivia questions over four exciting rounds. All team members had special roles; like the Annie's Chair (Kindy) and Roald Dahl (year 2) experts!

A HUGE thank you to Mrs Floyd and her teacher helpers for organising such a fun and engaging event to celebrate Book Week and reward the hard-working readers of BWPS!

For more photos - you can head over to the Gallery section of the website.

Stage 2 Excursion to Kurnell

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:46 AEDT

On Wednesday, 18th of August, Stage 2 students and teachers visited Kamay Botany Bay National Park as part of their history unit on 'first contacts'.

With the help of ranger guides, the students learned more about the rich Aboriginal history and cultural significance of Kurnell, which is the first landing site of Captain James Cook.

To see more photos of the amazing experiences BWPS had at Kurnell, head over to our 'Gallery' page.

BWPS Athletics Carnival 2016

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:25 AEDT

BWPS' annual athletics carnival was held at Amour Park, Revesby on Wednesday the 10th of August.

We had amazing weather and a great atmosphere for racing!

Everyone wore their house colours with pride and participated in a range of races and events throughout the day.

Thank you to all of the parents and families who came out to support the students and to the P&C for organising the always popular pizza lunch.

A special thank you goes to Mr Anasta for all of his hard work in organising such a great day. To see more photos from the day, you can head over to the 'gallery' section of the website.

Education Week 2016

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:29 AEDT

Shared stories, better learning, stronger communities'

This year BWPS celebrated Education Week with an Open Day. Parents and families were invited into the school to watch our amazing GotGame dance routines as well as our first ever percussion group performance!

Teachers then 'opened' their classrooms so parents and family members could see some of the engaging and inspiring things our kids do every day here at BWPS.

Mrs Floyd's annual Book Fair was very popular in the library, with over $3000 worth of books sold. Proving again that BWPS loves to read!

To see pictures from this great day, why not head over to the 'gallery' section of our website.

Welcome Back to Term 3

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:50 AEDT

We are so excited to be back at BWPS for another term of engaging learning. Coming up in Term 3 we have: Education Week (week 3), the athletics carnival (Week 4), the Stage 2 excursion to Kurnell (week 5) and much, much more. Make sure you check out our website regularly and stay up to date with all of the wonderful things happening at BWPS through your Class Dojo app.

NAIDOC Celebrations

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:36 AEDT

BWPS has come together to celebrate NAIDOC week. Students K-6 participated in a range of Koori Connections workshops across the day.

Students learned about the rich cultural heritage of Indigenous Australians, created amazing art works and developed grass weaving skills.

In class, all students looked at the history of NAIDOC Week in Australia and the importance of celebrating the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Parent Teacher Meetings

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:41 AEDT

If you haven't yet booked your meeting with your child's teacher for next week, don't forget to log on before 9pm tonight and book an appointment time.

The school computer lab will be open today from 3:00pm and teachers will be available to help parents make bookings on our new online system.

So drop by after you have picked up your child/ren and make a quick booking today.

Stage 2 Excursion Postponed

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:46 AEDT

Today's Stage 2 Excursion to Kurnell has been postponed due to the extreme weather over the weekend.

Today will be a normal school day so please ensure your child comes prepared for a normal Monday in the classroom.

Information on the new excursion day will be provided as soon as possible.

GWS Giants at BWPS

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:31 AEDT

BWPS students were lucky enough to participate in free workshops today with playing members of the Greater Western Sydney Giants.

All students K-6 got to practice their kicking and ball skills with the professionals!

Thanks to the Giants for providing such a fun and unique experience for the kids of BWPS.

You can see more about this event on the GWS Giants official webpage here.

'Make A Payment' Option Not Yet in Use

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:34 AEDT

You may have noticed our new look website has an additional tab called 'Make A Payment'. While we are excited to be working towards offering this online option for payment, it is not yet compatible with our school accounting system.

Please do not attempt to make any payments through this system until you have received further information from the school. Continue sending all payments to the school office as per usual. Thanks!

Press Start - Musical Auditions

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:43 AEDT

BWPS' First Ever Musical

We are so excited to announce our first ever musical here at BWPS!

Mr McKendrick will be running auditions for the musical, 'Press Start', from next week (Week 4). If you would like some more information, or an audition package, please see Mr McKendrick ASAP.

Newsletters Online

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:37 AEDT

We are excited to be going 'paperless' for our school newsletter.

As part of our push for sustainability and 21st century teaching/learning practices our newsletters will be going 'online'. You can read and/or download a copy of the newsletter from the school website each fortnight. We will no longer be printing a copy per family to send home. Please make sure you check in regularly to the website to see all of the wonderful things happening around BWPS.

Think U Know - Parent Workshop

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:49 AEDT

This week your child/ren received a note about the 'Think U Know' parent workshop. We strongly encourage parents (particularly from years 3-6) to attend as it is a fantastic opportunity to learn about cyber safety and keeping your kids safe online.

The workshop has been organised for out of school time (6-7pm) to support working parent involvement and child minding services are available (teacher volunteers).

With so much of our social lives and learning happening online it is essential to have the skills and knowledge to stay safe online.

Return the note to the school office ASAP to secure your place at the workshop.

Welcome Back To Term 2!

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:50 AEDT

We hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday!

This term is going to be even busier than last term.

We have excursions, NAPLAN, PSSA, GotGame dance classes, reports, parent workshops, the simultaneous reading and lots of other wonderful things happening in our school throughout the term.

The best way to stay in touch with what is happening at BWPS is to make sure you have signed up for Class Dojo with your child/ren's teacher.

You may have already noticed that as well as 'Class Story' there is now a 'School Story' section in the app. This is where whole school announcements and reminders will be made. Make sure you stay up -to-date by checking the Class Dojo app and our school website regularly.

School Planning and Reporting

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:22 AEDT

The Annual School Report is a record of our school's self-evaluation process. It is conducted annually and is part of the ongoing cycle of school planning and evaluation.

The Annual School Report provides information to parents and families on the performance of BWPS in national and state testing programs as well as how we are going in achieving our school plan directives.

You can access our Annual School Report through the 'Our School' tab at the top of the page.

Bell Shakespeare Video

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:24 AEDT

Thank You Bell Shakespeare!

As you know, BWPS have been lucky enough this year to have a visiting performance of 'Bottom's Dream', an adaptation of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Bell Shakespeare visited BWPS after the great success of last year's 'Just Macbeth'.

Mrs Floyd and some of our young thespians have put together a message of thanks for Bell Shakespeare which you can now view on our Youtube channel (link at the bottom of the front page of our website).

Another Successful Water Carnival for BWPS!

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:22 AEDT

Go Banks! Go Flinders! Go Bass!

This past Monday, BWPS held its annual water carnival and it was a HUGE success.

Students from Year 2 to Year 6 traveled to Greenacre Pools to participate in a variety of swimming events. Some students participated in the 50 metre events (Freestyle, Breaststroke and Backstroke) while other students raced in the across the pool events (Freestyle, Breaststroke and Backstroke) or enjoyed the water games.

Students from each sports house supported their teams through cheers, chants and lots of banner waving!

A big 'thank you' goes out to all of the parents who visited throughout the day to support the school and contribute to the wonderfully positive vibe at the carnival. Also, these events take a lot of planning and organisation, so thank you to Mr Brannigan, Mr Dippert and all of the BWPS teachers who helped make it such a great day.

Stay tuned for the announcement of the winning house!

EOI Forms for High School 2017 Due Soon

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:29 AEDT

All parents of Year 6 students will need to finish completing their High School application and return it to the school office by Friday the 18th of March.

It may seem early in the year to be thinking about which High School your child is going to next year, but the enrollment process has many steps and this is just the first.

Thank you to the parents who were able to attend the parent workshop on how to complete these forms. If you have any questions, please contact the school office before Friday 18th March.

The BWPS Buzz

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:48 AEDT

Make sure you check out our first edition!

The BWPS reporting Club have published their first story. You can read it - and future stories - by following the 'BWPS Buzz' link in the dark blue menu bar at the top of this page.

We look forward to bringing you student led reporting on issues in our school, throughout Australia and from around the world.

Stay tuned!

Parent Meet and Greet & Lunar New Year

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:41 AEDT

Community Spirit at BWPS.

Last Wednesday at Bankstown West, we celebrated the Lunar New Year with our students and community.

The students were very excited to have the chance to choose a lucky red envelope from the cherry blossom tree. Inside, each student received a lovely message and some were lucky enough to win a cup cake or a voucher from the canteen.

We were also lucky enough to have a performance of the Dragon Dance, which was very exciting (and noisy)! for our students. A big thanks goes to Mrs Myring and Mrs Bui, as well as Miss Chau and Mr Duong for their wonderful efforts in organising the day.

Thank you also to the parents and community who were able to join us later that day for our annual Meet and Greet. It was great to see so many familiar faces and meet new parents in an informal way. It's always a nice way to start the year. A big thanks to Mrs Le for making all the beautiful spring rolls and noodles for us all to enjoy on the day. Delicious!

Mr Brannigan

New Website Page on Road Safety

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:37 AEDT

We take our students' safety very seriously here at BWPS. To help parents and community members support our school in being a 'Safe and Happy' place, we have added some important information on road safety to our website.

You can find this information by clicking the 'Caring For Students' link at the top of the page and then selecting 'Road Safety' in the menu on the left of the screen.

Let's keep our kids safe!

The Torch Newspaper Celebrates BWPS!

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:49 AEDT

Lunar New Year Celebrations at BWPS

You may have noticed some familiar faces in this week's Torch Newspaper. They published a wonderful news story about our successful Lunar New Year celebrations and if you happened to miss this edition in your letterbox, you can read the article HERE.

Class Dojo in 2016

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:27 AEDT

Class Dojo is back at BWPS!

Here at BWPS, we believe in the power of home/school communication. We are asking all families to once again sign up to the wonderful Class Dojo App so that you can keep up to date with what is happening in your child/ren's classroom and around our school.

The App is FREE to download for iOS and Android and can also be accessed via the web at classdojo.com. We do recommend downloading the App to your devices so that you can get teacher messages in a timely manner.

Invitations with your parent codes will be coming home this week so keep an eye out and please sign up as soon as possible, we don't want you to miss out!

If you have more than one child or if your child has more than one teacher using ClassDojo, you can link all of these classes to the same parent account.

To add a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc... parent code:

Login to your existing ClassDojo parent account at home.classdojo.com
Click the "Add a parent code" button on the right side of the screen
Enter in your new parent code (7 digits, starts with a "P") and click "Verify code"
Continue entering parent codes, if you have more to add
Under the "Your kids" tab, you should now see a list of all of your children and/or all of their different classes. You can move between the names/classes to see the individual reports.

School Readiness Group 2016

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:42 AEDT

BWPS is proud to continue offering our fantastic School Readiness Group (formerly our Playgroup) throughout 2016.

The teacher-led program is aimed at children who will be attending school in 2017 and runs every Friday from 9 am to 11 am. Children will need to bring their own morning tea but tea and coffee are provided for parents.

Come and join us from Week 4 (Friday the 19th February) in the Art Room.

Welcome Back - Principal's Message

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:50 AEDT

Welcome back to Bankstown West for 2016.

We have a very productive year ahead of us, with the learning and welfare of our students of prime importance.

I wanted to let you know that, for the time being, your children will be remaining in the same class groups, in most cases with the same class teacher, as last year. Many children are likely, however, to be in a new room.

This is a temporary measure until we can finalise the number of new enrolments here at Bankstown West.

As soon as possible we will be forming the new classes for 2016. When that happens I will send home a letter explaining the new structure. Around that time you can also expect a letter from the class teacher outlining class expectations and requirements.

We trust you have had a safe and happy holiday and are looking forward with great anticipation to the year ahead. Together we will keep Bankstown West the wonderful school it is.

Felicity Bonello

Principal

Platinum Excursion

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:41 AEDT

What a great day!

Congratulations to all of the Platinum Award winners who have worked so hard and represented the values of BWPS throughout the 2015.

These students traveled to the Bankstown Hoyts Cinemas to watch Hotel Transylvania 2 with Mrs Benson, Mr MacDougal and Ms Webster.

You can head over to the Gallery to see some more pictures of this fun event.

Important Changes to Year 6 Farewell

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:33 AEDT

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

As you may have heard, a fire at the Paceway Function Centre over the weekend has meant that we have to change the venue for tonight's Year Six Farewell and K-6 disco.

It will now be held in the auditorium of the Bankstown Trotting Club, 178 Eldridge Rd Bankstown. The Trotting Club is quite near to the Paceway. It can be seen from Eldridge Rd. Turn in to the carpark from Eldridge Rd, between Edgar St and Ethel St. Times remain unchanged. The Year Six dinner will be from 6-7.30pm and the whole school disco from 7.30-9, with a video presentation for students and parents at 8.45pm.

We hope to see all students there for the disco!

Presentation Day

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:43 AEDT

Presentation Day is the best day of the year at BWPS. It is the day where the wide range of students' achievements are recognised and rewarded.

Sporting, citizenship and academic achievements are all celebrated by the entire Bankstown West Public School community. Congratulations to all of our award recipients who have worked hard throughout the year and a big 'thank you' to all of the parents, families and special guests that came to support our students.

A special thank you also goes to Mrs Benson who organised this wonderful event.

You can see pictures from the event over in our 'Gallery' section of the website. Enjoy.

Intention to Return to BWPS in 2016

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:34 AEDT

With the end of the year rapidly approaching, our school planning for 2016 is currently underway. Knowing who is likely to be at school next year is invaluable to us in planning for classes, classroom space, teachers and other programs.

In order for our planning to be as accurate as possible, would you please complete the information on the Intention to Return to BWPS in 2016 form on the Notes to Parents page.

It would be appreciated if this form could be returned to the school front office, no later than Wednesday 2nd December 2015.

Free Child Safety App For Phones

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:30 AEDT

BWPS would like to highly recommend the Daniel Morcombe Foundation 'Help Me' App. It's a great way to not only help keep kids safe, but assist people of all ages, from 7 to 97, covering all kinds of personal emergency situations!

MAJOR SAFETY FEATURES

The 'Help Me' button sounds a warning and allows you to can send off an SMS text to two (2) nominated 'safety' numbers, as part of your Trusted Safety Network. Included in the text are GPS co-ordinates from where the text was sent, so the sender can be located or a last known place of contact is indicated.

You can download it your children's phones (and yours) for FREE for both Apple and Android phones. For more information on this fantastic safety App, please visit the Danial Morcombe Foundation's website at: http://www.danielmorcombe.com.au/app.html

Overnight Camp

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:39 AEDT

Zoosnooz at Taronga Zoo

Last Wednesday, 45 students and 4 teachers braved the Sydney rain and spent the night with the animals of Taronga Zoo.

We had the park to ourselves and after a BBQ dinner we met some of the Zoo's residents. We had up close and personal meet and greets with a range of reptiles, including: tortoises, white-lipped green tree frogs, shingle backed lizards and the spotted python.

Then we braved the rain for an exclusive night tour around Reptile House and the African Waterhole with our keeper guides. It was truly an amazing experience that most people will never get to have.

The next day we had another special behind-the-scenes experience at the Bird Show. We got to meet some of the stars and learn about how the show is organsied, from bird training techniques to feeding and the logisitics of getting 45 birds ready to perform!

Our students' behaviour was incredible and they furthered BWPS' positive reputation within the community.

A special 'thank you' to Mr Brannigan for organising this amazing camp and to Mr McKendrick, Mrs Floyd and Ms Goodman for attending.

You can head over to the 'Gallery' section of our website for some great pictures of this wonderful trip.

What a Huge Success!

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:50 AEDT

Everyone loves a School Fete!

We held our first School Fete last Friday and it was a HUGE success. So many families turned out to enjoy the festivities and support our school community.

The children enjoyed the fantastic rides and activities and everyone loved the food!

Days like these are simply not possible without a massive amount of hard work and organisation leading up to the event. We must thank the P&C, and in particular, Mrs Krayem, who pulled together a great band of hard working and supportive parents, P&C members and business sponsors to deliver such an amazing day to our school community.

Not only did everyone have a great time, we managed to make a total profit of $16 000!

A special 'thank you' also goes to Mr Wilson for a very generous personal donation. This incredible amount of money will go straight back into our school and will be spent on further developing 21st Century teaching/learning programs.

Fete Food at the Canteen

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:30 AEDT

Thank you for your very generous support of the Fete. We can all agree it was a huge success.

We have a limited supply of some Fete food products which we will be selling from the canteen over the next three Fridays.

This Friday (the 16th of October), Toffee Apples will be sold for $3.

Next Friday (the 23rd of October), Fairy Floss will be sold for $3.

On Friday the 30th of October, Lolly Bags will be sold for $4.

Stock is limited and will be available on a first come, first served basis.

Fete Price List

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:30 AEDT

Don't forget to bring your money!

There are so many yummy foods to try at our fete tomorrow. You can see the full price list over in the 'Notes to Parents' section. This list should help you and your family plan your spending money for the Fete. Remember - there are no lunch orders tomorrow and the canteen will be closed at lunch time. We encourage you to purchase some of the delicious foods at our food stalls for lunch instead. This money goes straight back into our school to buy great resources for our kids. Its a win-win! You get great food and the school raises funds for your child's education.

There are also LOTS of fun activities for you and your children to participate in on fete day!

Everything from face painting, to sand art and plaster painting to taking amazing photos in the photo booth set up in KG! You can see a full price list for the activities on the right.

Remember - you will be unable to buy ride tickets on the day of the Fete so make sure you bring plenty of extra money for these fun activities.

Children's Festival 2015

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:27 AEDT

Thank You!

This past weekend, our school leaders marched in the Bankstown Children's Festival and represented BWPS with pride.

Our student leaders were joined by other students who came out to help support this community event and help maintain the positive reputation BWPS has developed in the local area.

A big 'thank you' to Mr Brannigan who supported the students on the day. Head over to the 'Gallery' section of our site to see some more pictures of this great event.

Ride Restrictions

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:45 AEDT

These are the height restrictions for the rides on Fete Day.

Pirate Ship and Giant Slide-all ages.

Flying Fish- Children must be less than 130cm in height.

Flying Chairs - Children must be 110cm or taller.

Sizzler - Children must be 110cm or taller.

Mini Ferris Wheel- Children must be less than 120cm in height.

Thank You!

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:48 AEDT

A very big 'thank you' to all the families who contributed to our donation day. We now have hair spray, tattoos, juice poppers, blocks of chocolates and photo booth props for our Fete on the 9.10.15.

A very special thank you to the Day family who created this wonderful prop for the Stage 3 photo booth stall. We can't wait to take some great (and very funny) photos on Fete day!

Rural Fire Service Visit

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:45 AEDT

Stage 3 have been learning about bush fires and floods and their impact on Australia as part of our Geography work.

Mr Mckendrick organsied for our local Rural Fire Service members to visit BWPS and discuss how to stay safe during bush fires and floods. We even got a demonstration of how the uniforms protect the fire men and women while they battle the blazes.

You can head over to our 'Gallery' pages to see more pictures of this visit and you can visit our YouTube page to see some videos!

Crunch&Sip

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:28 AEDT

Crunch&Sip is coming to Bankstown West!

The Crunch&Sip program is an easy way to help kids stay healthy and happy and it will begin at BWPS on Thursday, the 3rd of September.

Crunch&Sip is a set break to eat fruit or salad vegetables and drink water in the classroom. Students re-fuel with fruit or vegetables during the morning, assisting physical and mental performance and concentration in the classroom. This gives kids a chance to refuel, a bit like putting petrol in a car.

Send a bottle of water and some cut up fruit or vegetables for your child to snack on in class.

Fete Meeting Update

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:30 AEDT

Change to Parent Fete Meeting Week 7

The week 7 parent Fete meeting will not be able to go ahead on Tuesday as planned due to the District Athletics Carnival.

For Week 7 only, the Fete meeting will be held on Thursday (27.8.15) morning in the Community Language room at 9:00am.

All parents and caregivers are welcome to attend!

Spell-a-thon Money Due

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:46 AEDT

A reminder to all students and families.

The sponsorship money you have raised for the Spell-a-thon is now due. Please collect your money from your sponsors and return it to the school office ASAP.

This is one of BWPS's biggest fundraisers of the year and we rely on everyone to contribute. There are also prizes for the class who has raised the most sponsorship money.

District Athletics Carnival

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:28 AEDT

Tuesday, 25th August 2015

Congratulations to those students who were selected to represent BWPS at the District Athletics Carnival next Tuesday.

It is a great privilege to be selected to represent our school in the wider community and all notes and money must be returned ASAP.

The carnival will be held at The Crest Athletics Track, 25 Quentin Street, Bass Hill on Tuesday 25th August

2015. It will start at 8:30am and finish at 2:30pm.

The children will be travelling by bus to and from the venue. The buses will leave school no later than 8:15am so please make sure you are here by 8:00am. Good luck to all of our talented representatives, it's going to be a great day!

Fire Brigade Visit to BWPS

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:24 AEDT

Fire Safety Visit for Stage 3

As part of the geography unit for the remaining weeks of this term, students in Stage 3 will be studying bush fires and floods and their effect on the Australian community and environment. To broaden their experience, staff from Bankstown Fire Station will be visiting us on Thursday August 27th. They will present information and preparation strategies to Stage 3 students about bush fires and floods. All of Stage 3 will attend this presentation.

BWPS Gardening Club

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:26 AEDT

BWPS has a Gardening Club!

As part of our school beautification and environmental awareness programs, Ms Dixon has established a Gardening Club.

Each Monday lunchtime, 14 students, along with Ms Dixon, work in the gardens around BWPS.

The projects for Term 3 are the planting of native trees and shrubs in the Block A garden beds and the establishment of a school vegetable garden.

Stay tuned for photos soon.

Have You Visited Our Gallery Pages Lately?

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:33 AEDT

Our gallery section of the website is regularly updated with pictures from all of the wonderful events and programs students are fortunate enough to participate in at BWPS.

If you head over there now you can see galleries on the Stage 2 History Excursion, Oz Tag Clinics, Class Programs, World of Maths and Education Week Open Day.

Seeing your children so actively engaged in their learning and school community is always exciting.

Our Visual Art Program on Display

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:38 AEDT

We were very excited to have Professor Russell-Bowie from the University of Western Sydney (Creative Arts Faculty) and Mrs Faye (a visiting artist from China) visit our school on Tuesday the 11^th of August.

They participated in visual arts lessons with students from 32H and 1K. The children engaged in painting, drawing, fruit and vegetable printing, making spring blossom crepe flowers and chalk drawing in the playground.

Our school is renowned for its amazing Visual Arts program and Mrs Faye was very interested to observe how the children worked in different mediums. Both Professor Russell-Bowie and Mrs Faye were incredibly impressed with the amazing artworks our students were able to create.

Thank you to Mrs Tomazos for organising this special visit to showcase our student's artistic talents.

BWPS Fete

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:25 AEDT

Save the Date for the Fete

You may have noticed a new '2015 Fete' tab on our website.

The BWPS school community is holding a Fete Day on Friday the 9th of October 2015. All students and their extended families are invited and encouraged to attend and enjoy all the fun and exciting stalls, rides and events.

Get out your calendars and save the date for this wonderful, whole school community event!

The P&C would like to formally invite any and all parents who would be interested in helping out on the day, or leading up to the day, to meetings which will be convened weekly on a Tuesday.

The next meeting will be held at 2:15 pm on the 11th of August in the Community Language Room. Please come along and support this great community event.

Stage 2 History Excursion

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:46 AEDT

Stage 2 visited Experiment House and Elizabeth Farm Cottage.

3H, 3D, 43R and 4A have been studying settlement in early colonial Australia and have had the opportunity to put their knowledge to the test. Students visited Parramatta and got to experience life as early settlers would have. No washing machines, no fridges, no electricity and definitely no TV's!

Head over the Gallery section of the website to see more of the wonderful pictures from this educational and interactive excursion.

Education Week 2015 Open Day

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:29 AEDT

Well Done BWPS!

This week we celebrated Education Week with performances of our fabulous dance routines for parents, a Book Fair and open classrooms.

Parents and Caregivers were invited to watch the dances that our children have been working on in Footsteps dance lessons each week and spend some time in the rooms with children and teachers.

BWPS offers so many wonderful teaching and learning programs and it is always a treat to have parents in the rooms admiring everyone's hard work.

You can see more pictures of this wonderful event over in the Gallery section of the website.Enjoy!

World Of Maths Visits

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:51 AEDT

Learning is Fun!

Over the past week, all students at BWPS have had the opportunity to participate in 'World of Maths'. This is an exciting and hands-on maths program where students work together to solve problems and think 'outside the box'. We have had so much fun!

Head over to the Gallery section to see the proof.

NRMA Road Safety Workshops

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:37 AEDT

On Tuesday, the 21st of July, BWPS students K-6 participated in road safety workshops run by the NRMA (thanks for organising it Mr Anasta). Our presenter taught us how to stay safe in cars, on and around roads, and on our bikes, with fun and interactive games.

This visit also allowed us to practice the correct way to fit our bike helmets (the two finger rule) and how to wear seat belts so that they protect us properly in an accident. Head over to the Gallery section of the website to see some pictures and click the links below to read about road and bike safety.

Parent Brochure Bike Safety

Parent Brochure Road Safety

Office of Children's eSafety Commissioner

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:37 AEDT

This is a newly formed office that supports children in learning about eSafety and making official complaints about cyberbullying.

A new law introduced this year (Enhancing Online Safety for Children Act 2015) allows children suffering from serious cyberbullying to contact the Office of the Children's eSafety Commissioner to have content removed if social media companies do not remove offensive content after it has been reported to them.

This is a great step towards helping guide children and young people toward safe, enjoyable experiences online that keep them safe, happy and connected.

The goal is to create an environment in which cyberbullying is truly unacceptable. Here at BWPS, we take digital citizenship very seriously and we will be working in conjunction with the Office of the Children's eSafety Commissioner to ensure our students are respectful and responsible online citizens who know how to keep themselves, and others, safe online.

You can report cyberbullying, request content removal form social media sites and find lots of useful information about this new support system HERE.

Term 3 At BWPS

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:48 AEDT

Welcome back to the start of another busy and exciting term at BWPS.

This term we have many exciting programs and events happening, as well as new and interesting classroom learning programs for students.

Students have two more weeks of Footsteps Dance lessons, the Spell-A-Thon will be held this term, Education Week Open Day will be held in Week 3 and Stage 2 are heading off on their excursion in 4.

This term we also have some staffing changes: Ms Cooney has left and we are lucky enough to have the amazing Ms Dixon taking over on 1C.

We also have three final year Practicum (trainee) teachers working at BWPS this term. Mr Tran is working in 65G with Ms Goodman and Mrs Fenej. Mr McKendrick is working in 65B with Mr Brannigan and Mrs Ray. Miss Doueihi is working with Mrs Griffin in KG.

Make sure you check our website regularly for updates and photos (in the Gallery) throughout the term.

Selective High School 2016 Placements

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:45 AEDT

The outcomes of selective high school applications for entry in 2016 have been announced and we are very proud to say that seven BWPS students received 1st round offers to Selective High Schools for 2016.

This is a huge achievement and these students have worked very hard, applied themselves to their studies and made the most of all of the wonderful learning opportunities available here at BWPS.

Congratulations to: Adib, Louisa, Jason, Khiem, Jimmy, Alisha and Kathy and their families.

We also have our fingers crossed for those students who made it onto the reserve enrolment lists, another big achievement.

'Fizzics' Science Show Stage 2 + 3

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:30 AEDT

Stage 2 and 3 had a visit from the 'Fizzics Education' team.

Fizzics Education is a free science program sponsored by the GWS Giants. BWPS was fortunate enough to recieve a free one hour show filled with lots of exciting and amazing science 'tricks'.

Students discovered how aeroplanes are able to fly (the toilet paper experiment), why slow air moves to fast air (the plastic bag experiment) and Newton's laws of physics (the spinning wheel experiment).

To see more photos from this exciting and educational show, please head over to the Gallery section of the website.

Canteen Mural

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:26 AEDT

Our New Canteen - Art Room Mural is Almost Complete!

Thank you to Mr Martin for another outstanding mural at BWPS! In honour of NAIDOC week we have comissioned a mural to remind us about our country's Aboriginal heritage and when we see Mr Martin's Rainbow Serpent it will remind us of the traditional stories of the indigenous people.

Each of the handprints belongs to a member of the BWPS community - students and teachers. We are all connected.

You can head over to the Gallery to see more pictures of this amazing artwork.

Our New Multipurpose Court

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:38 AEDT

BWPS just keeps getting better!

This week we unveiled our new multipurpose court on the school field. Students now have another great place to play and learn at BWPS. This court is made of synthetic grass and is covered with a sun smart awning. It even has its own seating area! This is just another example of how BWPS makes school safe and happy for everyone.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:41 AEDT

BWPS Parent Teacher Interviews will be held on Wednesday the 24th and Friday the 26th of June.

Parents and caregivers are asked to return their interview time preferences to classroom teachers ASAP (see notes to parents page).

All parents are asked to particpate in this important meeting where we can discuss the progress, both academic and social, of your child/ren.

If you are unable to meet your child's teacher during the designated times, please contact them through the office or Class Dojo to make an alternate interview time.

Check Out Our Picture Galleries

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:27 AEDT

Make sure you head over to our Gallery section to see photos from our wonderful school events.

The Gallery section of the website is updated regularly so you can see some of the wonderful programs and events we have here at BWPS.

This week you can see new photos from our fabulous Simultaneous Reading event, the 65G/KG Stop Motion Movie Collaboration and District Cross Country!

District Cross Country

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:29 AEDT

Congratulations BWPS!

On Friday the 29th of May, students from BWPS travelled to Flinder's Slopes to represent our school at the District Cross Country Carnival. As usual, our students were responsible, respectful and raised the positive profile of BWPS in the local community even higher.

All students performed well but a special congratulations goes out to Zac and Evana who made it to the Area Cross Country Carnival on the 11th of June. You can see some more photos from the day over in the 'Gallery' section.

BWPS' Annual Athletics Carnival

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:25 AEDT

On Wednesday the 10th of June, BWPS will hold our annual Athletics Carnival at Amour Oval at Revesby.

Students need to return their permission notes and $5 for the bus to school as soon as possible. Please keep in mind that Monday is a public holiday and the carnival is on Wednesday. Also, due to our change in venue, parents who wish to attend will need to bring their own chair or picnic rug as the grandstand is not big enough to seat both students and parents.

School Photo Day tomorrow

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:45 AEDT

School photos will be taken Wednesday 3rd June. Please remember to wear full school uniform.

Mothers' Day Assembly

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:35 AEDT

Another fantastic Mothers' Day Concert at BWPS!

To celebrate all the mums, grandmas and aunties who make our lives so special every day, BWPS held our annual Mothers' Day Concert and invited these special ladies to attend.

We had lots of amazing acts dedicated to the wonderful women in our lives; from poems and artworks to songs and even a few movies. We truly are a talented bunch!

A big thank you to all of the families who came to watch their children perform, it was an amazing turn out. Also, a special thanks to Mrs Karagounis for organising this wonderful event.

Cross Country Carnival - Tuesday 12th May

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:28 AEDT

On Tuesday, 12th of May, BWPS will hold our Cross Country Carnival - Weather Permitting.

As you know we have experienced a significant amount of rain over the past two weeks.

Unfortunately, our field has become too wet to run on and the Cross Country carnival has been postponed.

We will be holding the carnival on Tuesday the 12th of May (Week 4) and all children are expected to participate.

We encourage students to wear their house colour shirt and their sports shoes and shorts for the event. It will begin at approximately 11:40am on the school field. See you there!

NAPLAN 2015

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:36 AEDT

Students in Year 3 and Year 5 will sit the NAPLAN test next week.

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.

The assessments are undertaken nationwide, every year, in the second full week in May. Above you can see the NAPLAN timetable for students in Year 3 and Year 5.

NAPLAN is made up of tests in the four areas of: reading, writing, language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.

Please make sure your child is at school between 8:30am and 8:50 am on these days if they are sitting for the NAPLAN test. They will also need to bring a rubber and a sharpener. Pencils will be provided.

If you wish to know more about the NAPLAN tests you can visit the ACARA website.

Bankstown Council's Official ANZAC Ceremony

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:23 AEDT

Thank you to the student leaders and school ambassador for representing BWPS at Bankstown's Official ANZAC Service.

On Saturday, April 25th, five student leaders attended the official ANZAC Day ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing. These students represented BWPS with pride and respect and layed a wreath in remembrance of our ANZACS.

A special thank you to the parents and teachers who came to the ceremony to support their children and our school. To see more pictures of this special event, head over to the Gallery.

ANZAC Day Ceremony

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:23 AEDT

Head over to the Gallery to see photo's from our wonderful ANZAC Day ceremony.

Today staff, students, parents and honoured RSL guests placed poppies beneath our school flags to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Gallipoli landing and to show our respect and thanks for all of those who served our country in war time.

Footsteps Dance

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:30 AEDT

Head over to the Gallery section of the website to see some great pictures of our first week of the Footsteps dance program.

This week all students participated in the lessons and had a great time learning fun and new choreography with their friends. If your child has not yet paid their $20 for this amazing program, you can still get your money in to the office by next Thursday and ensure your child does not miss out.

Change to School Photos

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:27 AEDT

As you know, the school photo day scheduled for Wednesday 22nd April has been postponed due to extreme weather conditions.

Your child/ren would have recieved a note this week explaining that the new date for School Photo Day is now Wednesday the 3rd of June 2015. This is the Wednesday of Week 7 and all students will need to be in full school uniform on this day. For any further information please contact the school office.

ANZAC Day Assembly

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:23 AEDT

Join us to Commemorate the 100th Anniversary of ANZAC.

BWPS will be holding a special assembly to commemorate ANZAC Day. Students, teachers, parents and honoured guests from the Bankstown RSL will stand togther to remember the sacrifices of our ANZACS and lay wreaths in their memory. This assembly will be held in the school hall from 2:20 pm. Parents welcome.

Swim Scheme 2015

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:47 AEDT

Our 2015 Swim Scheme Program is Underway!

46 students from BWPS are particpating in a two week intensive swim skills program at Birrong Pools. Students attend these lessons fopr two hours each day where they learn water safety skills and improve their swimming skills. To see lots of photos, head over to the Gallery page.

Mock Parliament & Jason Clare Visit for Stage 3

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:35 AEDT

65B, 65G & 5A Mock Parliament

Last week, Stage 3 students at BWPS were fortunate enough to particpate in a mock parliament run by none other than Jason Clare (Member of the Australian House of Representatives for Blaxland). The students were very excited to see how parliaent really runs and argued (strongly) over the introduction of a Bill banning homework in schools. Mr Clare was kind enough to donate his time to teach the chidlren about the House of Representatives and how laws are made here in Australia. We loved it!

Head over to the GALLERY to see more pictures of this engaging and educational experience.

Harmony Day 2015

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:32 AEDT

What a great day BWPS!

Harmony Day is held every year on 21 March to coincide with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
The message of Harmony Day is everyone belongs. It's a day to celebrate Australia's diversity – a day of cultural respect for everyone who calls Australia home.

Here at BWPS we love celebrating Harmony Day and this year we did it in style. Parents, teachers and students enjoyed a BBQ lunch (thanks P&C) and kite making and flying activities throughout the afternoon. Head over to the GALLERY to see some of the great pictures from today and see what makes BWPS such an amazing school.

BWPS' Annual Water Carnival

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:26 AEDT

Congratulations on an amazing day BWPS!

On Tuesday the 3rd of March, students in years 2-6 attended our annual water carnival at Greenacre Pool. The weather was perfect and the staff were very impressed with the fantastic behaviour of our students and the support of the many parents who attended.

Students had the opportunity to particpate in 20 m or 50 m races in backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle. Those who are not confident swimmers were also catered for with fun water based activities in the wading pool. We encourage those students to participate in our annual swimming scheme program which will be held later in the term. Thanks to Mr Brannigan, Mr Dippert and Mr Anasta for organising this fun day!

Tuna off the Menu

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:49 AEDT

No Tuna at School Canteen

In response to the tuna food poisoning incedent in Sydney this week, tuna and tuna products will not be available from the school canteen until further notice.

Please keep this in mind when placing your child's lunch order. Remember, we are lucky to have an amazing canteen with beautiful food prepared byMiss Marea on a daily basis. If you need some new ideas for lunch orders, you can see the canteen price list and menu on the 'Notes to Parents' page.

Clean Up Australia Day

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:27 AEDT

On Wednesday to 25th of February, staff and students of BWPS participated in our very own Clean Up Australia Day event.

Did you know that last year, thanks to an estimated 572,406 volunteers, 15,708 tonnes of rubbish was removed from 7,140 sites across Australia?

To celebrate the 25th year of this wonderful environmental program, BWPS organised a clean-up afternoon where classes each took responsibility for cleaning up a section of the school. Thanks to all the parents who provided gloves and plastic bags to support our cleaning efforts.

Our New Dutton Street Garden

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:37 AEDT

Look at our beautiful new garden!

As part of our ongoing school beautification project we have recently started landscaping work on the Dutton street gardens.

Our children deserve to learn and grow in a beautiful and inviting environment and as you can see we have already made significant changes around our school. You can see more photos over in the Gallery section of the website. Keep an eye out for more changes in the coming weeks

Thank You!

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:48 AEDT

Thank you to everyone who attended this year's Meet and Greet BBQ.

It was such a lovely afternoon and it was wonderful to see so many families attending and enjoying each other's company.

Many parents had the opportunity to meet their children's teachers in a fun, informal setting. You can head over to the Gallery to see more pictures from this great BWPS tradition.

Our New Mural

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:38 AEDT

You may have seen or heard about the amazing mural that is currently being painted on our school office.

A fantastic local artist named Robin has been working on a beautiful landscape mural over the last two days. This project is a part of our school goal to beautify BWPS and supports the bright games stenciling, astro turf and ulptures you have probably already noticed in our playground. The chldren have been fascinated with the process and excited about the end result. A special thank you to Mrs Tomazos and Mrs Bonello for organising this wonderful project. Head over to the Gallery to see the progress.

Our Annual Meet and Greet BBQ

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:37 AEDT

On Wednesday the 11th of February BWPS will be holding our annual Meet and Greet Family BBQ.

Join us in celebrating the beginning of the school year as this is a great opportunity to come and informally meet with staff and other parents and share a meal.

At 4:00pm you and your family are invited to join us for a FREE barbeque. There will be a short time of welcome and introductions and time to chat and mingle with other families as well as your children's teachers. The evening will end at 5:30pm.

The school will provide beef sausages, bread rolls, tomato sauce and cordial drink at no cost. All sausages are halal. Feel free to pack additional food for your family's needs and picnic rug and/or folding chairs might add to your comfort.

Please note: all children must be accompanied by a parent. Also, the barbeque will go ahead even if it is raining.

Please join us for this community event. Perhaps you could arrange to meet your friends and meet other members of our wonderful school community. We look forward to seeing you there.

Welcome to 2015 at BWPS

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:50 AEDT

We are all so excited to be back for another successful year of learning at BWPS!

Everyone returned to school yesterday feeling refreshed and eager to learn after a few weeks of relaxation and fun. You will notice some wonderful new faces around the school this year. We have Mr Dippert, Mrs Karagounis, Miss Cooney, Mrs Rahel, Ms Webster, and Ms Gray joining the amazing teaching staff of BWPS for 2015.

We look forward to working together with you and your children to make 2015 an even more fun, engaging and successful year than 2014.

Back to School!

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:23 AEDT

Yes, it's back to school time! All children, from Kinder to Year 6, return to school here at Bankstown West on Wednesday 28 January. Kinders have a later start, needing to be here at 10:00am, but for everyone else it's business as usual with a 9:00am start. We have a great year ahead of us!

P&C Film Night

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:40 AEDT

Thank you to all the companies who generously sponsored our recent P & C movie night.

Presentation Day 2014

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:42 AEDT

After a busy and successful year at BWPS we joined together to celebrate the many achievements of our students across all learning areas.

It is always a pleasure to acknowledge and celebrate the many successes our students have had throughout the year and we would like to thank all of the proud parents, family and community members who came to support our students. We saw wonderful presentations from the dance group (thank you Miss Karagounis and Mrs Griffin!) and the school choir (great job Mrs Kotsaris) as well as a special movie presentation from Kindergarten. This day demonstrates to all exactly how respectful, responsible and successful the students of Bankstown west Public School really are. A special thank you to Mrs Benson for organising this important event.

2015 Student Leaders Announced

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:43 AEDT

We would like to take this opportunity to share some wonderful news with those who were unable to attend our Presentation Day on Tuesday.

After nominations, speeches and voting we are able to announce that our school leaders for 2015 are:

Isabella - School Captain

Khiem - School Captain

Kathy - School Vice Captain

Jimmy - School Vice Captain

The BWPS community knows that these students will work hard to represent their school with respect and pride and serve in these important roles responsibly.

On behalf of the staff, parents and students of BWPS, we would like to say 'congratulations 2015 leaders!

Playground Art

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:41 AEDT

Mrs Tomazos and a small group of girls have helped to brighten up a previously drab part of our school.

Remembrance Day

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:44 AEDT

On Tuesday 11th November Mrs Bonello accompanied the school leaders to Bankstown RSL's Remembrance Day service. Amal, Angie, Damon and Long represented our school with great dignity on this solemn occasion.

Got Game Starts This Week

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:30 AEDT

Got Game Starts This Week!

Students who have paid their contibution to Got Game have started Gymnastics lessons this week. As you can see the students had an amazing time and can't wait for next week's lesson!

If your child has not returned their note/money you can still pay the $10 to the school office before next Thursday.

Bathurst Camp

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:24 AEDT

Back to the Goldfields!

Students (Years 3-6) and teachers (Mr Brannigan, Ms Goodman & Mrs North) who attended this year's school camp visited the 'Bathurst Goldfields' and stepped back in time to experience life on the goldfields. We found out what daily life was like for the miners and their families and even got to pan for gold! As always, the places we visited commented on the beautiful manners and behaviour of our students. A special thank you to Mr Brannigan for organising the camp. You can head over to the Gallery section of the website to see more fantastic pictures from our trip.

Healthy Harold

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:33 AEDT

Healthy Harold Life Education Lessons

Over the next two weeks all classes will be visiting the Healthy Harold Life Education Van. Here students who have paid and returned their notes will particpate in exciting and engaging lessons on safe and healthy choices. Students are also able to order merchandise and will need to bring the money in an envelope with the items they wish to purchase listed on the front.

Bankstown Girls High School Day

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:23 AEDT

Due to the recent extreme weather conditions, a large number of classrooms at Bankstown Girls High School (BGHS) have suffered significant damage and are out of action. We regret to inform you that the Monday October 20th High School for a Day program for Year 5 girls has been cancelled.

The good news however is that Tuesday 21st October (Sport focus) will still go ahead as BGHS will be using their oval.

Please remember that students must be dropped off at Mona Street by 8.45am and picked up at 2.20pm promptly. Students must wear full PE uniform and bring own lunch or money to buy from the canteen.

Congratulations

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:28 AEDT

Congratulations to Ava-Mai!

During the school holidays, Ava-Mai managed to score so many points on Mathletics that she was ranked number 1 in all of Australia! What an impressive achievement. Well done Ava-Mai!

Welcome Back: It's Term 4!

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:49 AEDT

We'd like to say welcome back to all students, parents and caregivers. Hopefully everyone enjoyed their safe and happy two week holiday. This term will be very busy, with assessments, platinum reward day, year 5/6 high school visits, peer support lessons, Got Games, Healthy Harold and many other exciting experiences. Be sure to check the calendar regularly to keep up to date with events at BWPS.

Draft Excursion Policy

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:29 AEDT

A draft version of the new school excursion policy can now be found on the 'Notes To Parents' page under 'School Policies'.

We encourage parents to read this policy and discuss it with your children. The policy is currently a draft and will be discussed at the next P&C meeting on Wednesday 10 October at 2:15pm in the art room

Public Speaking Finals

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:44 AEDT

The regional public speaking finals were held today at Revesby South Public School.

Both students that entered from our school did a fantastic job and came back to school with shiny trophies to go with their proud smiles.

Ryan from KB came 2nd and Tia from 1A came 3rd.

Both speakers put in a lot of effort and have made our school very proud. Bankstown West Public School- always striving to do our best.

SRC Fundraiser for Cancer Research

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:46 AEDT

On Monday 15th September, students are asked to dress in yellow and donate a gold coin to support research into cancer cures.

Cancer is the second biggest killer in Australia. Many of us know people who have been diagnosed with some form of cancer and this is our chance to make a contribution to the search for a cure. Dress in mufti and bring your donation on Monday!

T-Ball & Softball Scores

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:47 AEDT

T-Ball and Softball scores for PSSA 2014.

Boys and Girls PSSA Training

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:24 AEDT

Boys and Girls PSSA traingin will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:30am Please make sure your children are here in time to participate.

Zoo excursion on this Wednesday

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:51 AEDT

Just a reminder that parents will need to return the new parent consent note for this week's zoo excursion. Students will be attending the excursion this Wednesday 3rd September. The bus is leaving at 8:30 am so please ensure your children are here by 8:15 am. Thanks!

Fathers Day Stall

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:30 AEDT

The P & C will be wrapping gifts for the Fathers day stall on Friday morning at 9am. They would greatly appreciate any and all help.

ZOO EXCURSION POSTPONED

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:51 AEDT

The Kindergarten to Year 2 excursion planned for Tuesday 19th August has been postponed due to the wet weather.

Information regarding a new date for the excursion will be sent home in the near future.

Spellathon Winners

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:46 AEDT

Congratulations to the following students for winning the Spell-Offs. Don't forget to keep your Spellathon money coming in!

Kindergarten:Ryan KB

Year 1: Tia 1A

Year 2: Auslee 32H

Year 3: Sophia 43B

Year 4: Salena 43B

Year 5: Kathy 65C

Year 6: Minh 65G

Sophia, Salena, Kathy and Minh will now be invited to represent BWPS at the Premier's Spelling Bee.

Multicultural Day + Open Classrooms

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:35 AEDT

Yesterday at BWPS, we celebrated the wonderfully multicultural make-up of our school with dance, food and community involvement. It was great to see so many parents get involoved, watching their children perform dances, visiting them in their classrooms to share in their hard work throughout the year and join us for an amazing multicultural feast at lunch. A special thanks to the teachers and parents who made this day possible through weeks of planning and preparation. THANKS!

Multicultural Open Day

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:36 AEDT

Don't miss our Multicultural Open Day next Wednesday, 13 August, starting with performances at 9:30am. Afterwards you will be able to join your children in their classrooms and see first-hand the wonderful work they are doing. Why not take them up to the library to celebrate Book Week, and while there see 6/5C's latest film.

From 12:30pm on August 13, after a busy day of dancing and other fun-filled activities, we are asking you to bring a plate of whatever you feel like preparing and helping us set it up near the hall. We look forward, perhaps, to some new and exciting culinary experiences, or some old favourites, and your children will be proud to see you contribute to this fun (and always filling!) afternoon.

Please feel welcome to stay and serve, and if you want to talk about your offering as the children and other parents sample it we'd love to hear all about it.

As we expect to have many dishes available we ask you to have the dish ready to eat and to provide serving utensils, with anything you want to make sure you don't lose clearly labelled. The school is supplying serviettes, plates, bowls, cups, forks, and spoons. Please note, as some children have food intolerances it would be appreciated if you could make sure a list of ingredients is available on the day. We would also appreciate knowing if your dish is halal.

Do come along and join us!

Another Successful Athletics Carnival!

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:22 AEDT

Last week BWPS held it's annual Athletics Carnival at Memorial Park Oval. Students from K-6 particpated in numerous events throughout the day including the 100m, 400m and 800m races, team relays and even tug-o-war! The P&C organised a lovely lunch and many parents came to support their children in their races. A special thanks to Mr Anasta for organising this popular event.

Stay tuned to see which House Team won the day overall!

Cupcakes Galore!

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:28 AEDT

The last day of Term 2 was celebrated in style with our Jersey Day and Cupcake decorating activities. Check out the new photo album.

BWPS Mathletics Achievements

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:26 AEDT

Congratulations to 1Z and 65G on their wonderful Mathletics results. Both classes have made it onto the Hall of Fame Leader Boards which is a huge accomplishment.

Keep up the hard work BWPS!

Don't Forget To Wear Your Jersey!

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:29 AEDT

Tomorrow is the last day of Term 2 and is also our Jersey Day! Its an opportunity to wear your favourite jersey, but don't forget to donate a gold coin. Students who ordered cupcakes will also get the chance to decorate and enjoy them throughout the day. Have fun!

Amazing Mathletics Results!

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:22 AEDT

1Z have had a very successful week on Mathletics. Samy made it on to the Leader Board as the highest scoring student in THE WORLD.

Miss Zuman has also helped 1Z to make it on to the Australian Leader Board as the 9th best class in all of Australia.

A HUGE congratulations to 1Z on their amazing achievements!

Aboriginal Cultural Day

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:21 AEDT

In recognition of National Reconciliation Week, BWPS held an Aboriginal cultural day on Wednesday. Students were involved in story-telling, traditional symbol painting and dancing with Aboriginal leaders from different parts of Australia. Our students also witnessed a traditional smoking ceremony and you can see photos of this great day over in our 'Gallery'.

Too Many Elephants In This House

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:49 AEDT

Well, we've done it again! In what is fast becoming a Bankstown West tradition, staff and students have been treated to a fun, entertaining and interactive performance of the 2014 National Simultaneous Reading book: Too Many Elephants In This House, by Ursula Dubosarsky.

National Simultaneous Storytime is an important annual campaign that aims to encourage more young Australians to read and enjoy books. Students were encouraged to wear their pyjamas and join us for a storytelling picnic in the hall where Mrs Floyd performed Too Many Elephants In This House. That is until she was interrupted by The Magnificent Zitzeff (Mr Coffey) and his three amazingly talented (but easily distracted) elephants. Shenanigans ensued.

A special thanks to Mrs Floyd and Mr Coffey for writing, costuming and starring in the performance as well as the teachers who brought the elephants to life (Mr Brannigan, Mr Anasta, Mr MacDougal, Mrs North and Miss Ayoub).

Everyone had an amazing time and these are the special events that our children will remember for years to come.

Cross Country Carnival

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:28 AEDT

It's time for our annual Cross Country Carnival! Students K-6 will race on Friday the 16th of May here at school to decide who will represent BWPS at the District Carnival. All students are expected to particpate and sports shoes must be worn on the day. Students are also encouraged to wear their house colours and support their teams.

Students who also attend PSSA will need to bring their PSSA uniforms to change into before their games.

NAPLAN 2014

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:36 AEDT

Next week students in Years 3 and 5 all across Australia will be sitting the NAPLAN tests in English and Mathematics. Students at Bankstown West have been preparing by sitting previous tests and revising Term 1 content.

NAPLAN will be held across three days (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) and students will need to be at school by 8:45 to ensure they are present for the start of the tests as they can not be delayed to accomodate late students.

You can support your child by ensuring they get a good sleep the night before each test and get to school on time to avoid unnecessary stress on the morning of the tests.

Public Speaking 2014

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:44 AEDT

This week, students were given notes outlining the details of speeches to be prepared for public speaking. Click on the link below to access the note online

Public Speaking Note (docx 368 KB)

Welcome 2014 P&C

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:49 AEDT

On the second Wednesday of every month the P&C holds their meeting. Yesterday we held the AGM and

congratulations go to the following people who form our new 2014 P&C executive:

President: Sylvana Wehbe

Treasurer: Joanna Ngo-Bui

Secretary: Olisyah Azis

Vice Presidents: Fatima Krayem and Rawak Rustom

We also welcome our new committee members:

Uniform – Fatima Krayem and Sylvana Wehbe.

Fundraising – Nagham Chmali and Fouziea Malak.

Thank you for supporting our wonderful school. The staff and students of BWPS look forward to working together with you throughout 2014.

School App Update

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:45 AEDT

Hopefully many of you have downloaded our great new school app, 'Bankstown West Public School', which is available on the iTunes store for FREE.

You are now able to receive notifications about soccer and netball by selecting these 'Groups' on your downloaded app. This will allow you to see specific reminders and alerts about PSSA teams and training sessions.

Thank You 2013 P&C

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:39 AEDT

The P&C is an important part of any school. We have been fortunate enough to have a committee of hard-working and passionate parents and caregivers involved in our P&C throughout 2013. We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and say a very big 'thank you' to our outgoing P&C executive: Aisha El Rez (President), Linda Myring (Treasurer) and Natalie O'Connor (Secretary). We also need to thank Pam Leet for her sub-committee role as Uniform Shop Coordinator.

Website Translation

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:49 AEDT

You may have noticed the new 'Google Translate' button at the top of this screen. It's a great new program that translates our school website into dozens of different languages. If your family speaks a language other than English at home you might like to change the website into that language by clicking the grey arrow next to 'Select Language' and selecting your home language. This will translate the entire website for you!

A Great Success!

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:21 AEDT

Yesterday, Bankstown West PS celebrated Harmony Day with a fun filled day of activities. Kindergarten made orange jelly, Stage 3 created crosswords and the whole school made and flew kites. Though we have parents and teachers who work hard every day of the year to make BWPS the fantastic and supportive school that it is, days like these highlight the importance of community and tolerance and are not possible without the support of both parents and teachers.

We would like to say 'thanks' to all the parents who participated in the Harmony Day celebrations. Whether you helped cook the BBQ, prepared kite kits, supported your children in their classroom activities or came to watch the kite flying on the field, thank you for being a part of it.

Harmony Day

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:33 AEDT

Join Us For Harmony Day

On Wednesday 26th, BWPS will celebrate Harmony Day with a kite making and flying activity and a BBQ lunch. Parents are invited to join their children for kite making and flying activities between 1:20 - 3:00pm. The BBQ will be held at 12:45 pm. We hope to see you there!

Condell Park High School Parent Workshops

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:27 AEDT

Condell Park High School are offering Parent Workshops on a variety of topics throughout the year in an effort to support parents of Year 6 students in the transition to High School. Head over to the 'Notes to Parents' section fo the website to see details about these workshops.

Harmony Day BBQ

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:32 AEDT

As part of our Harmony Day celebrations, BWPS P&C will be holding a BBQ on Wednesday 26th March for parents and caregivers to enjoy with their children. In keeping with this year's theme of 'Everyone Belongs' we are asking for parents and community members to donate some of their day to help out with the BBQ. Volunteers are required from 12:00pm onwards and you can donate as little as 30 minutes out of your busy day. If able to help, please leave your name and phone number at the school office.

ICAS Competitions 2014

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:33 AEDT

The UNSW International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) for students from Year 3-6 will be offered at BWPS in the following subjects:

Subject	Date of test	Cost per student
Spelling	17th June 2014	($12.10 GST inclusive)
Mathematics	12th August 2014	($8.80 GST inclusive)
English	29th July 2014	($8.80 GST inclusive)
Writing	16th June 2014 to 20th June 2014	($18.70 GST inclusive)
Computer Skills	20th May 2014	($8.80 GST inclusive)

Please note that these exams are quite difficult and will not be suitable for all students.

All students who participate receive acertificate and an individual student report indicating which questions they answered correctly and their score compared with the rest of the students tested. The certificate and individual student report are also suitable for your child to include in a portfolio.

The exam entry fees are listed in the table above. This money needs to be returned to the office in an envelope by the 25th of March. Clearly mark your child's name, the exams they will be sitting and their Year level at school (not their class).

As this money is sent to the university, we will be unable to refund any students who are away on the date of the competition.

Please complete the form (found on the 'Notes to Parents' page) and return it to the office by the morning of Tuesday the 25th of March 2014. Unfortunately, money cannot be accepted after this date.

School Photos

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:45 AEDT

On Wednesday, March 12th Bankstown West will have our annual school photos. Students have received individual order forms and these are to be returned to the office with the correct money enclosed. All students must wear full school uniform as even those who are not purchasing photos, will have their photo's taken with their classes and as a whole school.

Clean-Up Australia Day

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:27 AEDT

Every year, Clean-Up Australia Day encourages and inspires thousands of Australians to take to their local park, beach, bushland and streets and really help make a difference by cleaning up their local environment.

At BWPS, we will be cleaning up our entire school on Thursday the 27th of February. Students from Kindergarten to Year 6 are encouraged to bring plastic bags, gloves, tongs and any other tools needed to keep our school environment looking beautiful!

P&C

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:40 AEDT

Please join us for our first P&C meeting of the year this Wednesday, 12 February, starting at 2:15pm in the art room (adjacent to the canteen). We apologise for the earlier typo in the calendar showing the incorrect start time. We hold our meetings just before school ends to make it easy for parents and carers to join us.

Active After School Sport

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:22 AEDT

This fantastic (FREE) program is back again in 2014 thanks to the support of our wonderful teachers and parents.

This term, students involved in the AASC will be learning key soccer skills. Active After School Sport runs on Tuesday and Thursday and parents are reminded that they must be here by 4:00pm to pick up their children. Please check the calendar for start and end dates.

BWPS Annual Swimming Carnival

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:25 AEDT

On Friday 14^thFebruary the school will be holding its Annual Water Carnival for all students in Years 2-6.

The carnival will be held at Greenacre Pool from 12 noon to 2.30pm.

Students will need to bring their note and $10 to the office ASAP. All students Year 2-6 are expected to participate (supervised water games have been organised for non-swimmers).

Parents can come and cheer on their children. A spectator fee of $2.70 will be charged at the pool.

See you there!

Welcome Back!

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:38:50 AEDT

Welcome to 2014 at Bankstown West Public School. We are excited to welcome some new faces and look forward to a fun, engaging and educational year.

We have an exciting year ahead, starting with our Meet and Greet BBQ on Wednesday 12th Feb and the annual Swimming Carnival on Friday 14th Feb. Make sure you regularly check our website for updates and photos.