Term 1 Week 6

Principal's Report

Congratulations Ms Kapadia

Congratulations are extended to Ms Kapadia who welcomed a new baby boy into her family last Sunday.

Little Aaron, Mum and Dad are all travelling well.

We are looking forward to seeing Nasha and Aaron soon!... very exciting news!

Outcome of Consultation for Co-educational High School options 

As mentioned in a recent email, following a lengthy community consultation process regarding co-educational high school options, the NSW Department of Education has determined that Blacktown Boys High School and Blacktown Girls High School will remain as separate single-sex schools. 

Adjustments will be made to surrounding intake areas to ensure all students in the Blacktown area have access to a co-educational high school option.  

In response to feedback gathered during the consultation process, the department will also explore co-educational academic, sporting and extracurricular opportunities for students at Blacktown Boys and Blacktown Girls high schools and will work closely with both schools to identify and implement initiatives.   

This outcome has been determined following careful review of feedback received from the Blacktown community during the consultation process and reflects the community’s preference regarding local high school options.  

Key changes:  

• The department has heard community feedback on proposed intake areas for surrounding high schools, presented during the consultation process.  
• The final intake areas for each school will be made available via School Finder and will be applied for any new enrolment application for 2026. 
• The department will explore the introduction of co-educational learning opportunities to enhance curriculum offerings at both schools, in collaboration with staff.  

How to apply for Year 7 2026 

Families interested in applying for Year 7 in 2026 at their local high school or for an out of area high school placement, including for Blacktown Boys or Blacktown Girls high schools can express interest through the high school application process on department’s website 

Thank you to all students, parents, carers, staff and community members who took part in the consultation process, which ran from 28 October to 6 December 2024.  

Your feedback has been valuable in ensuring we continue to provide the most suitable schooling arrangements for students in the Blacktown area.

Volunteering for the School

Vardys Road Public school  has always been a community-based school that works shoulder to shoulder with its parents and carers.

We very much rely on the assistance of volunteers in the classroom, at school events, as part of many of our programs and as valued P & C members.

The school also has a responsibility to ensure volunteers are screened to protect the integrity of our child protection processes.

These processes however, often unexpectedly hinder volunteers wanting to help with a school program, when the time frames for the screening processes and signing up for an event do not match.

The Department has addressed this issue by automating the screening process.

When  teachers or the school as a whole, are requesting volunteers, parents and carers can now be sent a link via email which will direct them to an onsite screening process.

The validation is almost immediate and the result is automatically sent to the school.

The volunteer then only needs to show their ID and or WWCC at the school office, prior to the event.

This process is much quicker and hopefully will make it easier for community members to help out at our school.

Voluntary Contributions

As mentioned in previous emails, the school annually reviews its requests for parent contributions, ensuring that requests are aligned with focus areas of the school and are reasonable.

This has allowed our financial contribution requests to be meaningful and targeted.

Upon our most recent review of these processes and after considering a change in Departmental expectations, the school will no longer be requesting financial support for in- school programs or for donations of such items as tissues, glue sticks or whiteboard markers.

It is important that we continue to send a message that Public Education provides a quality education for every child. As such the above changes will ensure that this message is delivered consistently.

Invoices for the reduced voluntary contributions will be sent home shortly.

P &C Recognition Day

Over the many years I have worked at Vardys Road Public School,  I have been blessed with a P& C who have always worked hard and collaboratively to make a great school even better. 

The P&C serve as the collective voice for parents, carers, students, and staff, ensuring that everyone has a seat at the table and an opportunity to shape the school's culture and future.

Today, March 5th, is the annual P&C Recognition Day, we celebrate our special group of parents and carers under the theme "Together for School Communities," highlighting the outstanding contributions of our P&C members and the dedicated volunteers who make our school a special place for everyone who walks through our gates. 

At their core, P&Cs are all about fostering a sense of community and creating inclusive schools where everyone belongs…Our P&C does that and MORE!!!

Together we grow, together we belong and together with the P&C we ensure everyone's family is heard, every child is successful and everyone is supported. 

To our P&C…Thank you…Thank you…Thank you!

Enjoy your families,

Ian Short 
Principal

Zone Swimming Carnival

Today Wednesday, 5th March, several Vardys Road Public School students competed at the Zone Swimming Carnival which was held at Blacktown Aquatic Centre. It was a great day and all students performed admirably and displayed fine sportsman and sportswomanship.

We would like to thank Mrs O'Brien, Mrs Christian and Mr McDonald who co-ordinated the Zone event and to our family members who transported and supported our students.

Trials for Zone Sporting Teams/Representation

Last Friday, 28th February, a number of Vardys Road Public School students attended the Zone Trails for soccer, netball, rugby league, basketball, AFL, softball and touch football.

Students showed true sportsmanship across a range of the different sports. Well done to all our students in representing  themselves.

We wish you all the best of luck! 

A huge 'thank you' goes out to the parents/carers who proudly supported their children at these games by taking time out of their day to transport the children to these events.

A thank you also goes out to Mr McDonald for all his help.

Breakfast Club

Breakfast has gotten off to a fantastic start at school, with the service now being offered four days a week—Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. It’s heartening to see all students making their way to the OOSH building to enjoy toast and juice together. The initiative has attracted a significant number of students, which highlights the importance of a healthy breakfast in setting them up for a successful day of learning.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our incredible SLSO team for their dedication and commitment to arranging this essential service. Their willingness to volunteer their time and energy not only ensures that our students receive a nutritious start to their day but also fosters a sense of community and support among the students. It’s a wonderful example of teamwork that positively impacts our school environment, and we deeply appreciate their efforts. Thank you once again for making this program possible!

From the Office

A friendly reminder that it is very unsafe to tailgate into our school grounds via the car parks. We have had instances where this practise has resulted in vehicle  damage as well as damage to the school gates. 

For the safety of our children and the extended community, entry through these school gates cannot occur between 7:45am and 4:00pm.

Crunch & Sip

Daily Crunch & Sip is a great way for your child to drink water and eat vegetables or fruit to support good health and to help their learning.

At Vardys Road Public School Crunch & Sip is held at 10:0oam. This is a quick  five (5) minute break, so please keep your child's portions small. 

Vegetables such as carrot or celery sticks, cherry tomatoes or snow peas

OR easy-to-eat seasonal fruit such as a small apple, a container with hulled strawberries, a mandarin or banana

OR canned fruit in natural juice with a spoon.

A clean, clear water bottle filled with plain water.

When packing Crunch & Sip or lunch, a friendly reminder that Vardys Road Public School has many students who have food related allergies and can suffer anaphylaxis as a result of contact with those allergens.

You can support our school community by:

• Labelling all lunch boxes, bottles and other drinks with your child’s name
• Having regular discussions with your child about the importance of washing hands, eating their own food, and not sharing food, food utensils or food containers
• Refrain from sending nut based products to school for recess or lunch
• Refrain from sending  food products for your child to share with other students. e.g. birthday cupcakes etc.

P&C News

Today, the first Wednesday in March, is P&C Day, with the theme for 2025 "Together for School Communities”. At their heart, P&Cs are all about building community and creating schools where everyone feels included. They represent the voices of parents, carers, students, and staff, ensuring everyone has a seat at the table and a chance to contribute to the school’s culture and direction.

Like most P&Cs, the Vardys Road Public School P&C Association is run solely on volunteer power. We would like to invite you to choose ‘just one thing’ that you might like to help with this year, whether it’s big (like nominating to be P&C President) or smaller (like helping at a BBQ or on a stall). Every contribution is greatly appreciated, and if everyone chooses just one thing, we can all make a huge difference for our children, families, school and community.

We have some important roles to fill at our upcoming AGM in Week 8 (see meeting details section below for more information), including President and Vice President Fundraising & Events, for which the currently elected members are not intending to nominate in 2025 due to other commitments.

For a full picture of the P&C volunteering opportunities for 2025, including events, uniform shop, and P&C roles, and to assist us in setting up our 2025 volunteer register, we ask that you complete the 2025 Just One Thing survey. Please note that the survey is best viewed on a computer or iPad rather than a phone.

If you have any questions or feedback about the survey, please email team@vrpspc.org.au .

Uniform Shop

This year the shop will be opening on the days and times below:

• Monday mornings between 8:30am -9:30am
• Tuesday afternoons between 2:15pm –3:15pm
• Thursday mornings between 9:00am - 10:00am
• Friday afternoons between 2:20pm and 3:20pm

Online ordering is always available here, and orders should be delivered to your child’s classroom within the next day or two (be sure to include your child’s name and class in the Notes section at checkout). 

Stock update: white polo shirts are now back in stock.

Events / Fundraising

2025 EASTER RAFFLE DONATIONS

We kindly ask students to bring in Easter Chocolates and Easter Themed goodies as a donation for our upcoming Easter Raffle. Donations can be dropped into the front office by Friday 4th April marked Attention: P&C Easter Raffle.
Please ensure all food is in its original packaging and everything is within its use by date.

Further information about raffle tickets will be sent in the coming weeks.

P&C Meetings

We love welcoming new members, or welcoming back old ones, so if you’ve been meaning to join or rejoin we’d love to have you! Send through your membership form or get in touch with any questions via email: team@vrpspc.org.au , or check out our website: https://www.vrpspc.org.au for further information. 

At the AGM, all P&C positions are declared vacant and any members who would like to are encouraged to nominate for positions. Please see our Roles and Responsibilities Overview document for further information.

In accordance with the P&C Constitution, anyone wishing to vote or to nominate for a P&C role at the AGM must become a 2024 member at or before the Week 4 meeting, so this time window is now closed.

Our 2025 membership form is now available. Existing members are asked to renew their annual membership at or before the AGM in order to retain their voting rights and place on the P&C email distribution list.

Recipe of the Week

Crunchy choc-chip microwave cookies

Ingredients

• 125g butter, chopped
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• Pinch of sea salt flakes
• 3/4 cup CADBURY Baking Dark Chocolate Melts, halved
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
  

Method

Step 1
Place butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100%) for 30 seconds or until melted. Set aside for 2 to 3 minutes to cool.

Step 2
Stir in vanilla and egg until combined. Stir in flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and salt until combined. Add chocolate. Stir to combine.

Step 3
Using 2 level tablespoons at a time, roll mixture into balls. Between the palms of your hands, flatten balls slightly. Line a microwave-safe plate with baking paper. Place about 4 cookies on prepared plate, allowing room for spreading. Microwave on HIGH (100%) for 2 minutes to 2 minutes 30 seconds or until cooked, but soft to touch. Stand for 1 minute. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Step 4
Repeat process with remaining cookies in 4 batches. Serve.

Thought of the Week