28 February 2025

Updating your Contact Information

To enable the school records to be maintained accurately and in the case of an emergency we have asked families to provide an update of contact information. If your details have not changed, please enter your current contact information and return to the school office. 

All students who return the sheet will go into the draw to win a family prize pack!

Zooper Dooper Friday!

Each Friday this term the P&C will be holding a fund-raising event. Zooper Doopers will be on sale at the end of the day from 3pm to 3:15pm for $1 each. This will take place on the basketball court.

Parent/Teacher Talks 2025

This year the school will provide the opportunity for parents to meet individually with their child’s teacher. This is an opportunity for two-way dialogue for parents to find out about the school, class routines and learning. It is also a time for the teacher to get to know you and your child better.

This year parents will be able to book an interview time using the Sentral Parent Portal.

Parent/Teacher talks will take place on Wednesday 12 March from 3:10pm until 5:30pm. Teachers have also nominated other times during that week when they will be available.  Interviews will be held in your child's classroom.

Please note in order to make a booking you will need to have registered with Sentral Parent Portal.

To book an interview, please follow the instructions below;

1. Log into the Parent Portal and select the Interview
2. Click on Select Timeslotsto see available times.
3. You will see a list of all your child's teachers and their available times.
4. Select your preferred times for each interview.
5. When you have made your selections, the times you chose will be displayed at the bottom of the screen.
6. Click the Save Bookings
7. You will be returned to the Interview screen displaying a list of your selected interview times.

Bookings can also be made through the Sentral Parent Portal App, by clicking on the Interview tile and following the prompts on your mobile device.

For parents who have more than one child you will need to follow the process to make another appointment time.

Cross Country

Our Cross Country Carnival will be held on Wednesday, 2 April 2025 for students from Year 2 (turning 8 years old this year) to Year 6.  This is a normal school day, and all students are expected to attend. All children will participate unless they have a medical certificate.

Parents are asked to complete the permission slip on the note and return to your child’s class teacher before Wednesday, 26 March 2025.

Children will be walking with their class to the venue.

Please wear school sports uniform and appropriate footwear or House colours.

Meehan- Blue
Macquarie- Red
Moore- Yellow
Thompson- Green

If you child has asthma, please ensure they bring their medication with them on the day. Also bring a hat, water and sunscreen.

Children’s Parliament

Our 4 new Children’s Parliamentarians had their first workshop a couple of weeks ago. The students participated in discussions about human rights and explored some of the articles of the United Nation conventions on the rights of the children. They discussed their rights and also their responsibilities and came to understand that in order to exercise a right they must be responsible to others and respect their rights as well, emphasizing the importance of balancing personal freedoms with the well-being and rights of the community.  They reflected on their role in society, and their social responsibility in respecting the rights of all.

They also proposed suggestions on issues that directly impact them in the 2168 area. These ideas will be gathered and voted on, with the chosen topic becoming the focus of discussions for the year.

Children’s Parliament

Animals on the school ground

We understand that many of our families are animal lovers. However, please note that under the Companion Animals Act 1998 (NSW, Section 14), animals are prohibited on school grounds unless the principal grants permission.

We thank you for your understanding with this.

P&C Annual General Meeting (AGM)

The school P&C will be holding their Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Monday 3 March @ 9:00am in the multipurpose room next to OoSH. Following the P&C meeting the Annual General Meeting will be held, where new position holders of president, secretary and treasurer will be elected. Your attendance at the meeting does not mean you have to take on a role, but we welcome any parents who may wish to.

We invite all parents and community members to become an integral part of our school community by joining the Parents and Citizens (P&C) Association! Your involvement is vital in supporting our children’s education and enhancing our school environment.

Together, we can make a difference for our children and create a vibrant school community. We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting!

Members of the school community are invited to consider becoming a member. To become a member, you will need to complete a form and pay a membership fee of $2. This can be completed at the meeting.

We hope to see you there.

Mufti Day & P&C Easter Raffle

This term we are supporting the P&C Easter raffle to raise funds to purchase additional resources for classroom use.

We will be holding a mufti day on Monday 17 March to support this event. Students are asked to come out of uniform and bring a chocolate Easter Egg or rabbit and/or GOLD COIN donation. The Easter Eggs and gold coin will be put towards the Easter Raffle.

Attached to this note is a sheet of 20 Easter raffle tickets. These can be purchased by families and friends for $1 each ticket. Completed tickets and money collected to be returned to the school office by Tuesday 8 April.

The raffle will be drawn on Thursday 10 April at the P-2 Easter Hat Parade.

Jellybeans Music

This year we have continued to provide expert tuition in music by employing specialist teachers. This term Year 1 and 2 will participate in music on Thursdays. The costs for these programs are covered by the school to ensure all students can attend. This year we request families contribute $10 each time your child participates in a program.

NAPLAN

As children progress through their school years, it is very important that checks are made along the way to see how well they are learning the essential skills of reading, writing and mathematics – skills that will set them upon the path to success as adults.

NAPLAN is a point-in-time assessment that allows parents and carers to see how their child is progressing in literacy and numeracy against the national standard and compared with their peers throughout Australia. At the classroom level, NAPLAN provides additional information to support teachers’ professional judgement about student progress.

Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 are tested on the fundamental literacy and numeracy skills that every child needs to succeed in school and beyond. NAPLAN is a national, consistent measure to determine whether or not students are meeting important educational outcomes.

Students in Year 3 and Year 5 will sit their NAPLAN assessments from Wednesday 12 March to Monday 24 March. These assessments will be completed online.

The best way you can help your child prepare for NAPLAN is to reassure your child that NAPLAN tests are just one part of their school program:

• Encourage your child to simply do the best they can on the day
• Ensure your child arrives to school on time, that is before 9am each day
• Avoid excessive cramming or coaching in the lead-up to NAPLAN
• Speak to your child’s teacher if you have questions about how you can help your child prepare for NAPLAN.

Western Sydney Wanderers Soccer Program

We are lucky to have The Western Sydney Wanderers running football clinics for students in Stage 2 and Stage 3 throughout term 1. The clinic is at no charge to the school or students. The aim of the clinics is to increase student participation in sport and encouraging them to have a healthy and active lifestyle. What a wonderful opportunity for our students!

Uniform Purchases

Personal Items

We kindly ask that students leave personal items and equipment at home. This will ensure that student belongings are not lost or become damaged while at school. This includes basketball, soccer balls, footballs, dolls and toys. The school will be providing balls and equipment for students to play with during recess and lunch.

We thank you for your support and understanding with this.

Communicating with you

We need to be able to connect with all families. Please use the Busby West Facebook page or the Sentral Parent Portal to keep up to date with notes, information and provide reasons for your child’s absences. Classes are also using ClassDojo.

Attendance

It is very important for children to develop habits of arriving on time at an early age, beginning from the time they start school. School starts promptly at 9:00am. All students are expected to be at school and in class from 9:00am to 3:00pm each day.

Please remind your child that they must go straight to their designated area when they arrive. Gates open at 8:30am each day. A couple of minutes here and there doesn’t seem like much but every minute counts!

All students are required to provide an explanation for absences on the day they return to school. Alternatively, you can send your child’s teacher a message on Class Dojo, or lodge an absent form via the SENTRAL Parent Portal App. If your child is absent for more than three days, they will require a medical certificate upon their return.

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s attendance, please contact the office.

Indigenous Shirts - Now Available!

In 2023 we introduced our new Indigenous Shirts which were voted for by our school community. If you would like an additional shirt they are now available to purchase from the front office for $27.00 each. 

School Gates

To ensure the safety of our students and visitors attending the school, we keep our school grounds secure outside of supervised hours and during learning time.

Our school gates open from 8:30am in the morning for students to arrive to school. Our gates open again at 2:45pm for you to collect your child in the afternoon.

Preschool families can collect their children prior to the gates opening in the afternoon, but they will be required to ring the bell at the gate.

If you wish to pick your child up prior to 3:00pm, please speak with the office staff and they will arrange for your child to meet you at the office.

2025 Canteen Menu

This year we welcomed our new canteen providers Fresh 4 Kids. Please click for the new canteen menu for 2025. Orders can be placed at the canteen each morning from 8:30am. Please note that they only accept cash and eftpos payments at the canteen on the day of order. Lunch orders need to be placed by 9:10am.

Dates to keep in mind