Week 8 Term 3 Newsletter 2025

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Carers,

Spring has truly arrived, bringing with it a noticeable warmth and a refreshing change from the colder months. It’s always encouraging to see the seasons change, and we hope to enjoy a full, vibrant spring before the heat of summer sets in, allowing our students to experience outdoor learning and play in pleasant weather.

Recently, our Year 4 students embarked on an exciting excursion to the Blue Mountains—a highlight of their learning journey this term. The group was fortunate to enjoy spectacular weather, which enhanced their experience greatly. One of the standout moments was their ride on the Scenic Railway, renowned as the steepest passenger railway in the southern hemisphere, offering breathtaking views and an exhilarating adventure. The students also enjoyed exploring the natural beauty of the region, including scenic lookouts and walking trails that provided hands-on learning about geology, ecology, and local history. The excursion concluded with a delightful meal at Kedumba House, allowing students and staff to relax and share their experiences. I want to extend my sincere thanks to Ms. Laurie and Miss Smith, whose dedication and commitment ensured the safety and enjoyment of all students. Their willingness to give up personal time to accompany the students is truly appreciated. Please see the detailed report and photographs in this week’s newsletter for a glimpse of the fun and learning shared during this trip.

Looking ahead, our whole school Peer Support excursion is scheduled for Wednesday of Week 10. This event is particularly special for several reasons. Firstly, it is rare to have an excursion that involves the entire school community, reflecting the strong sense of unity and belonging we foster here. Secondly, our Peer Support Program has been a cornerstone of our pastoral care for nearly 30 years, supporting students in building friendships, developing leadership skills, and promoting inclusivity. Over the past two terms, our Peer Support leaders—students who have taken on the responsibility to guide and support their peers—have demonstrated remarkable maturity, empathy, and leadership. This excursion will provide them and all students with an opportunity to celebrate these achievements and strengthen the bonds within our school community. Essential information and permission forms were sent home on Monday, with a due date of 19th September. I would like to express deep gratitude to Miss Rinaldo for her expert organisation of this event, ensuring it will be both meaningful and memorable for our students.

Please also note that there will be no Week 8 assembly this week, as netball coaching sessions are being conducted throughout the school over the next three Fridays. These sessions offer valuable physical education opportunities for all students, promoting fitness, coordination, and teamwork. Our final assembly for the term is planned for Thursday of Week 10, where we will gather to recognise student achievements and celebrate the term’s successes.

Thank you all for your ongoing support. I look forward to a busy and productive final weeks of term, filled with learning, growth, and community spirit.

Kind regards

Sharon Hawker
Principal

OOSH OPERATING MORNING AND AFTERNOON

We are thrilled to announce that Outside School Hours (OOSH) is operating 5 days per week morning and afternoon. This program provides a safe, engaging, and supportive environment for our students before and after school hours.

To ensure the success and viability of this program, we need your support. We are currently seeking more children to enrol. A robust participation will not only enhance the program's offerings but also create a vibrant community where students can connect, learn, and have fun together.

If you are interested in enrolling your child or would like more information about the OOSH program, please use QR Code to register. Your involvement is crucial in making this program a valuable addition to our school community.

Thank you for your support!

100% Attendance Gallery

Congratulations to Riley Bermingham, Ada Carpenter and Marlii Webb on 100% attendance in Week 7, keep up the great work!

2026 Kindergarten enrolments now open!

Year 4 Blue Mountains Excursion

The bus left at seven o’clock and we were on the bus for one hour. Then we stopped at  a little village called Hartley and we ate some recess and went to the bathroom. We met a ranger called Lester who showed us a cell where people got locked up. The women's cell was tiny, we barely all fit in it! Three more people and we would have overflowed it! The men’s cell was bigger and we could have fit twenty or more. Then we went to the beautiful church and we had a chat and Tali played the organ. Next, we travelled  to the Heritage Center and Lester met us there too and we had a chat and looked at Aboriginal artefacts and we went on a walk to Govetts Leap. After, we went to the Cultural Centre and did a quiz and then went to our accommodation. We had a delicious dinner and went to bed.
The next morning we went to the Three Sisters and walked to Scenic World and went on the Skyway, Scenic rail and the Cableway. It was so much fun!

Year 4 had a great time at the Blue Mountains.

By Lucinda Rowe

Gallery

150 YEAR CELEBRATIONS Save the date! Friday 31st Oct - Sunday 2nd Nov

Upcoming Events

Term 3

Week 8 - Thursday 11th September - Kinderbounce 1.40pm - 3pm

Week 9 - Thursday 18th September - Kinderbounce 1.40pm - 3pm, Friday 19th September - Western Athletics

Week 10 - Wednesday 24th September - Whole School Peer Support Excursion to OrangeThursday 25th September - Whole School Assembly 2pm

Infants students are to wear their sports uniforms on the following dates:

Week 8 - Friday 12th September

Week 9 - Friday 19th September

Week 10 - Friday 26^th September

The children will be participating in a netball clinic and this will replace their Thursday sport time. Next term, Infants sport will return to Thursdays.

Class in Focus

Each week one of our classes will be chosen to showcase the great learning that is happening at our school.

This week our class is : 4/5

Attendance Matters

We are committed to working with you to offer support and remove any barriers that may be preventing your child from regularly attending school.

The NSW Education Act requires that all student absences must be explained within 7 days of the first day of them being away from school. Please contact us promptly whenever your child is absent and let us know the reason for them being away. This allows us to provide the right support and make sure your child's absences are correctly recorded.

In the event that your child has repeated or ongoing unexplained absences, we will continue to try to contact you about each absence to provide appropriate support for you and your family.

Consistently going to school has countless benefits – from learning, to creating social connections and improving wellbeing through access to support and quality education. We understand that regular attendance can present challenges, but please know that our school staff are here to support you and your family.

Our Learner Qualities

We are proud to reintroduce our Visible Learning qualities, which are essential traits that empower our students to thrive both academically and personally. These qualities include:

• I Am Resilient: Our students learn to bounce back from setbacks and challenges, developing persistence and determination in their pursuit of success.

• I Am Creative: We encourage creativity by inspiring students to think outside the box and approach problems with innovative solutions.

• I Seek Feedback: Our students understand the value of constructive feedback as a tool for growth, actively seeking input to improve their learning and performance.

• I Embrace Challenge: We foster a growth mindset, encouraging students to take on challenges and view them as opportunities for learning and development.

• I Am Self-motivated: Our students take ownership of their learning, setting personal goals and striving to achieve them with enthusiasm and commitment.

These Visible Learning qualities are integral to our educational approach, helping students become confident, capable learners who are prepared for future success. Together, we will cultivate these qualities to create a supportive and engaging learning environment.

PBL Focus - CPS Wellbeing Program

The Resilience Project continued....

Is there a best time of day to practise gratitude, empathy, and emotional literacy?

These are strategies that can be practised any and every day, at any time of day. 

If these concepts are new to you, building a routine to practise them can support wellbeing. Picking a time of day–for example, first thing in the morning or after dinner–can be helpful to create a new habit and give structure to your wellbeing journey. 

An example of this could be having some GEM Conversation Cards in the car for the school drop off or pick-up or beside the bed for your child’s bedtime.

(03) 9113 9302 | theresilienceproject.com.au

Royal Far West

As part of the service Royal Far West are providing our school, they are offering parent group programs which take place online and are delivered by trained facilitators. The groups are free for any parents/carers of the school to join. 

For school Term 3, RFW will be offering 2 different Online Parent Group Programs – ‘Tuning in to Kids’ (TIK) which will be offered as an evening group; and ‘Circle of Security’ (CoS) which will be offered as a daytime group.   

The attached brochure contains further details about the Term 3 Online Parent Groups, with the dates/days/times for the group and information about how parents can enquire. 

Sentral Parents App

Please ensure you have your notifications TURNED ON (check in settings). We use this app to send push notifications for all school activities.

The submit future absences functionality has been activated in the portal, to utilise this feature, Click on the absences widget, then click on the + in the upper right hand corner. Follow the prompts and hit the send button.

PLEASE NOTE: this is to request future absences ONLY, not to explain the day of an absence.

The HUB - Canteen Lunches

Can parents please update their child/s class or details before placing an order. Any enquiries please call Sheryn : 0402 441 263

Healthy Snippets

Healthy "Snippets" from NSW Health covering a range of topics including; healthy eating, lunchbox ideas, drinking water and food budgeting. 

Community Notices