Horsley Herald Term 4 Week 11 2021

Dear Parents and Carers,

This is the final newsletter for 2021 and as we reflect on this year we celebrate many achievements of our staff and students. 2021 has presented challenges and circumstances at every turn. The flexibility and adaptability required by our staff, students and families to make it through 2021 has been immense. However, I am enormously proud of our school, as we have continued to 'better ourselve to better our world'

We have provided exciting opportunities and challenges for students, celebrated individual achievements, tackled challenges head on and grown as individuals and as a community. I must acknowledge the dedication and perseverance of our staff, teaching and non-teaching. Their tireless dedication, willingness to go above and beyond, respond to requests to adapt to yet another change and still keep their positivity is nothing short of inspiring. I would also like to acknowledge our students. In the years ahead, they will reflect on the challenges of this year (and last year!) and hopefully realise how amazing they were. Learning new skills and taking on new challenges is hard enough without ‘learning from home’, cancelled activities and uncertainty. Every single one of our students without exception has achieved so much this year and they should be proud of themselves. I would like to make special mention of Year 6 and school leaders. They have been an amazing group this year and their support and encouragement of each other has been great to observe. They have shown adaptability and maturity and we wish them every success for their high school years. Finally, I would like to thank our community. Your trust, cooperation and partnership during 2021 has been fabulous.

Enjoy the break with your family over the Christmas and Holiday period and I’ll see you all in 2022.

2022 DATES
Staff return: Friday 28 January
Year 1-6 Return: Tuesday 1 February
Kindergarten Commence on: Thursday 3rd February

STAFFING NEWS
I would like to share news about staffing at Horsley Park Public School for 2022.

We say farewell to Miss Ferrai, Mr Screnci, Miss Van Eeden, Mrs Stevens, Mrs Ali and Ms Anna.M (school counsellor) who will not be returning to Horsley Park Public School in 2022.

Miss Ferrari who has been an Instructional Leader at Horsley Park Public School for the past five years will be returning to her base school Warwick Farm PS in 2022. 

Mr Screnci will not be taking up a position a new position in 2022 as a Community Language Teacher at the Community Languages School at Petersham. 

Mrs Stevens will be devoting her time to her studies to become a teacher and we wish her all the very best in her studies and future goals and aspirations.

Miss Van Eeden and Miss Callaghan will be atking up a Classroom Teacher position at another school.

Mrs Ali will not return in 2022 as our COVID ILSP Teacher however we may see her as a casual teacher in the new year.

Ms Anna.M will be taking up a new position at a new school as a school counsellor in 2022 and our school will be informed very soon of who will be repalcing her.

We wish all our amazing staff who are leaving us the very best for their future goals and aspirations. We are so grateful for the deciation, time and commitment they have given the students, staff and families of Horsley Park Public School.

2022 SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS
We are very excited about a number of upgrades and improvements being made to our school during the upcoming holidays or at the start of next year. Many of these projects have involved considerable planning and it is fabulous to see them about to happen. These include:

- The bark under the play equipment will be replaced with the Installation of new soft fall surface and LED lights installed in rooms in the school.

- In 2022 we will be looking at continued upgrades to our facilities including our Library/Tech Hub, a Mural on the student toilet blocks.