Dear parents and carers,
Attached is the February edition of the School’s Newsletter. The Newsletter will be sent out to every
student/family each month to keep you updated with important dates and information; to celebrate
whole school and individual student achievements; invitations; and generally improve communication
between the school and home.
If you would like to celebrate an achievement of your young person or you have other relevant
information you would like forwarding on to the BMS community, please email me:
sarah.desmond@ed.act.edu.au
Today, you are receiving a hard copy of the newsletter.
If you would prefer to receive the newsletter via email and receive relevant and important information
from our community partners as we receive it, please fill out and return the form below*.
*
Please return it even if we already have your email as we need additional information and consent
.
Thank you!
Sarah Desmond
Pastoral Care Coordinator
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I _________________________(first name) ______________________________ (surname) consent to
the Black Mountain School e-Newsletter and any relevant community partner information to be sent to
my email address which is (please write clearly below):
______________________________________________________________________________________
My child/ren’s name is ___________________________________________________________________
Signed __________________________________________ Date _________________________________
Black Mountain School
An ACT Government School p: 02 6205 6377 e: info@bms.act.edu.au 48 Dryandra St O’Connor ACT 2602 f: 02 6205 6388 w: www.bms.act.edu.au
Dates for your calendar
Principal Frank Fogliati Deputy Principal Lara Coman Executive teacherProfessional Practice (ETPP) Christine Kirk
Executive Teachers: Kate Taylor, Catherine Laverty, Andrew McDonald, Alison Williams (Moran) Pastoral Care Coordinator Sarah Desmond
Youth Support Worker Ben Pegram
Counsellor Karen Proctor Chaplain
Andrea de Vaal Horciu Transition Coordinator Shannah Louise Building Service Officer Darryl Cullen
Business Manager Glenice Ugalde Reception
Noela Skeels, Claudia Turner Sport & Rec Officer
Sam Marks-Galea Trainees
Sarah Brown, Eylish Perry, Alayna Vleeskens ASBAs Rheannan Vergano P&C President Dawn Bowra Board Chair Gavin Richardson 2 0 1 5 F E B R U A R Y T E R M 1 , W E E K 2
Phone: 02 6205 6377 Fax: 02 6205 6388 Web: www.bms.act.edu.au
Learning, Growing, Achieving
Black Mountain School
Tuesday 10 February —
Thursday 12 February
Compass camp
Monday 16 February 11am Welcome Assembly
ALL WELCOME—please join us!
Monday 16 February —
Friday 6 March
ILP Meetings
Thursday 19 February
5 — 7pm
Open classrooms and Welcome BBQ
ALL WELCOME! - please join us!
Tuesday 24 February
Year 7 immunisations
Tuesday 24 February
6pm
7pm
P & C Meeting
Board Meeting
Monday 2 March
11am
School assembly
A word from Frank
L E A R N I N G , G R O W I N G , A C H I E V I N G B L A C K M O U N T A I N S C H O O LWelcome back for 2015
We’ve made a great start to the year. Staff engaged in several days of inspiring professional learning last week, followed by the anticipation of welcoming our returning students. The school continued to attract enrolments over the summer break and we began the 2015 school year with an enrolment of 97. To our 14 new families I would again extend a warm welcome from the school. We hope to see you soon, particularly at the forthcoming Welcome BBQ.
We also welcomed several new staff, as well other staff moving into new roles and positions. Their biographies will appear in our next newsletter. We trust you will enjoy reading them.
The refurbishment of room 22 continues, with an anticipated completion date of late March. Also our social enterprise, Six Degrees, whilst still in the early stages of construction, will soon be making leaps and bounds toward a mid-year opening date. For those families attending our Welcome BBQ we will be happy to show the progress with both ventures.
Radford and Merici students will be resuming Peer Leadership and Community Service programs at BMS next week.
Today you will have received information concerning the School Board election- a pdf attachment with the e-newsletter or a hard copy if you received a printed copy of the newsletter. We have vacancies for two parent and citizen members as well as a staff member position. Please consider nominating for 2015.
We will be holding our first school assembly for the year on Monday 16 February (week 3) in the gym at 11am. Like all our assemblies we enthusiastically welcome all parents, carters, and family members to attend. We hope to see you there.
Our first big social event, the Welcome BBQ, is scheduled for Thursday 19 February. A note with details went home last week. It’s a friendly and relaxed evening, and the perfect opportunity to meet staff and families!
There was some confusion on our website about the start date for returning students this year. The school apologises for this misinformation. We will endeavour to ensure that in future the same date appears in both print and electronic media.
Sadly the start of the school year has not been without tragedy. For those parents familiar with the inspired work of the Community Living Project (CLP), the founding president Esther Woodbury passed away on January 21. Esther had a vision of establishing safe, long-term residential accommodation for people with disability. Esther’s hard work, vision and leadership have been clearly seen in the four successful Expo and Market days that have been held to celebrate International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD). Esther’s request was that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to BMS, the school where her deceased son Jack was educated some years ago. I am pleased to advise that the ensuing contribution has now been received by the school and will be put toward funding further initiatives for post-school student transition. Esther, I believe, would be proud of this outcome.
And just recently we were advised of the recent sudden passing of Hugh Smith, brother of Chloe. (Chloe graduated from BMS last year). Our thoughts are with parents John and Wendy, and sister Chloe during this time of painful loss. Both the school and P&C will be sending cards of condolences.
L E A R N I N G , G R O W I N G , A C H I E V I N G B L A C K M O U N T A I N S C H O O L
HAAS
Going into its second year at Black Mountain School, the Health Access At School
(HAAS) program will continue to provide students with a greater range of health care
options, freedom and flexibility.
HAAS supports students who have a complex or invasive health care need to attend
school through the provision of nurse-led care during school time. The nurse’s role
provides a link between parents and the school and ensures staff at school have
appropriate training and skills to undertake health procedures. The nurses will also
provide ongoing support of both the students and the school.
The goal of this program is to train the staff assigned to a particular classroom, the
individual health and medical needs of the students within the class so that the class
may function as a whole without needing to access outside agencies for their
particular needs.
The training of our staff by ACT Health has been taking place over the last two years
and staff are excelling at learning the required new skills and enjoying the new
dynamic in their relationship with their students.
After School Care options
Latitude
Latitude is an after school and school holiday program for young people with a disability attending high
school. The program provides opportunities for young people to enjoy activities such as sports, art
experiences and other recreational pursuits with their peers in a safe, relaxed atmosphere. Qualified and
experienced employees tailor programs to meet the interests and needs of young people and programs
focus on developing life skills and community engagement.
Monday-Friday 3-6pm
Address:
Old Flynn primary school
Bingle Street, Flynn
ACT 2615
Contact info
: (02)62640200
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Marymead Wheelie Fun
Wheelie Fun after School and School Holiday Program:
This program is an after school and school holiday
program, based at Black Mountain School, for young people who use wheelchairs. This program specifically
caters for a client group with high support needs, who have difficulty accessing services because of this.
Monday—Friday
Address:
Black Mountain School (Room 30)
48 Dryandra Street,
O’Connor ACT 2602
Contact info
: (02) 6162 5800
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Northcott
This is an after school and holiday program for young people with a disability attending high school and living
in the ACT. It is run from the Black Mountain School in O’Connor and provides activities including sports, arts
and crafts, cooking and community outings. Activities are tailored to the interests and needs of young people
with the primary focus on developing life skills and community engagement.
Monday-Friday 3-6pm
Address:
Black Mountain School (Rooms 18/20)
48 Dryandra Street,
O’Connor ACT 2602
Contact info
: (02) 6297 6899
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Communities @work
Teens program—FUN4YOUTH
Currently Fun4Youth provides the opportunity for young people to develop and enhance their social skills
and build peer networks. All activities operate at either our Southern Hub or our Northern Hub or within the
wider Canberra community, and are age and culturally appropriate.
Mon-Fri 3pm-6pm
Address:
Southern Hub
OR
Northern Hub
Corner of Pitman and Holwell Streets
47 Ernest Cavanagh St
Tuggeranong, 2901
Gunghalin, 2912
Contact info
: (02) 6293 6227
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