Term 1 Week 7 Newsletter - Monday 10th March 2025

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Term 1 Week 7

Monday 10th March 2025

Dear Parents and Carers

More frequently, we are seeing evidence of anxious behaviours in our students at JPPS. I am therefore thrilled to announce our school's commitment to and participation in the ANXIETY PROJECT over the next two years. The Anxiety Project is a project designed by psychologist, Michael Hawton, and the NSW Primary Principal's Association, to assist primary students to manage their anxious behaviour. It is a large scale, evidence-based project, delivered through a series of cognitive-behavioural lesson plans and through the use of teacher-led and parent-led conversational techniques. These interventions are aimed at helping a child to learn skills to manage their anxiety. John Purchase PS has joined primary schools right across Australia, in this project.

Michael Hawton cites that research on student anxiety shows us that:

* 70% of child anxiety is learned and that 30% of child anxiety is due to temperament and genetic factors. The good news is that early intervention means that most childhood anxiety can be unlearned.

* Much of the potential for improvements in child wellbeing can be achieved through 'challenging' students to engage with problems not by avoiding them.

* The significant adults in a child's life - including their teachers - can make an important difference to a student's ability to manage their anxiety through 'seemingly modest' interventions.

Our goal will be to achieve a drop in child anxiety over the next two years. Over the next semester, staff will engage in surveys, training and explicit lesson delivery, linked to the PDHPE syllabus. Parent involvement is highly encouraged and we will be inviting our parent community to participate in surveys and parent training, commencing in Term 3.

Over coming months I intend to share key concepts related directly to the Anxiety Project. Many of you will be familiar with some of the ideas, including promoting a 'Have A Go' mindset! Teachers and parents working together; our collective efficacy, will have the greatest impact. 

John Purchase Public School prides itself on being a highly multicultural community. Eighty percent of our students come from a Language Background Other Than English (LBOTE) and represent a variety of different cultural backgrounds. Over 39 different languages are spoken and the most common languages include Mandarin, Hindi, Cantonese, Korean, Tamil and Telugu. A portion of our LBOTE students are classified as EAL/D students. Some of these students receive some form of EAL/D support at our school. These are students who speak a language other than English at home. Currently, our model of support is predominantly in-class; provided by class teachers and our two part-time EAL/D teachers: Mrs Scott and Mrs Taylor. A small portion of our EAL/D students may be New Arrival (NAP) students or International Students.

For a student to be considered a New Arrival and be eligible for New Arrival support, they must:
● be newly arrived in Australia (enrolling in school within 6 months of arrival in Australia or 18 months for Kindergarten students);
● be from a language background other than English;
● be assessed as being at the Beginning or Emerging EAL/D Learning Progression phase and, therefore, require intensive English tuition;
● be enrolling in an Australian school for the first time or transferring within 6 months;
● be a permanent resident of Australia or a temporary visa holder with an Authority to Enrol (ATE) issued by the Temporary Residents Program (some temporary resident subclass visas may not be eligible); or
● be an Australian Citizen who has lived overseas continuously for a period of 2 years or more or were born overseas to Australian citizens and have lived overseas continuously for a period of 2 years or more.

International Students have access to the wide range of curriculum content and programs offered at JPPS, including access to support programs. If an International Student requires EAL/D support, they may be included in the school’s EAL/D programs.

This Wednesday, students in Years 3 and 5 will commence assessments in literacy and numeracy (NAPLAN). The assessment program will continue until March 24. I sincerely thank Miss Moore, Mrs Walters and our tech support crew, Mrs Cattell and Mr Teo, for the hours of organisational preparation undertaken.

Parents are reminded that tonight's P & C Meeting will commence at 7pm, via Zoom.

Have a positive week!

Let's accomplish BIG things with a Have a Go Mindset!

Regards

Adela King
Relieving Principal

Our Growth Mindset: Have A Go!

EAL/D at JPPS

Learning Trajectories and Generative Questions

All teachers have shared students' learning trajectories for Term 1, with you. When I visited 1/2R, 3/4B, 4ML, 5W and 5/6B, last week, I was interested to see the interactive nature of many of the trajectories. In order for students to best understand what they are learning, students and teachers are noticing and naming; using work samples as evidence, to highlight key points along their learning journeys. Teachers are using generative questions to stimulate deeper thinking about concepts across all Key Learning Areas.

Congratulations Sachin

Sachin N (5/6H) participated in the NSW PSSA State Cricket Championship, held in Maitland. The competition was played over 4 days and Sachin’s team, Sydney North, was the 'Finalist' on the last day of the State Championship. Sachin was the top scoring batsman. Unfortunately, the match was abandoned due to rain, with only ten overs left to play. Congratulations to Sachin and the Sydney North team for reaching the 'final'; particularly commendable, as 14 teams, all with talented cricketers, were competing. Congratulations Sachin!

Thank you Parents

Mrs Robbins conducted an information session for parent volunteers last week. Thank you to the mums and dads who gave up their time to attend. It is much appreciated!

P & C Meeting 7pm Tonight via Zoom

Monday, 10th March, via Zoom. All parents are very welcome to attend.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://nsweducation.zoom.us/j/63488311261?pwd=9INfOObLsXCgHzTb3ViHTEQ8DGS62y.1

Meeting ID: 634 8831 1261
Passcode: JPPS

One tap mobile
+61272530539,,63488311261# Australia
+61280156011,,63488311261# Australia

Dial by your location
• +61 2 7253 0539 Australia
• +61 2 8015 6011 Australia
Meeting ID: 634 8831 1261

Please be advised that the AGM and General Meeting of the P & C will be held on Monday 7th April, commencing at 7pm in the school annexe. Nominations for positions are now being advertised and interested parents are invited to complete the form below and submit this to the front office prior to the AGM.

NAPLAN 2025

Students in Year 3 and Year 5 will be completing four assessments in Literacy and Numeracy commencing on Wednesday, 12th March. The assessment program will conclude on 24th March. Assessment timetables will not be published to the wider community. Class timetables will be modified to accommodate the assessments.

If you want to know more about the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9, refer to the parent and carer brochure, available in a wide range of languages: https://nap.edu.au/naplan/for-parents-carersExternal link

Students new to NAPLAN can visit the public demonstration site to become familiar with the online testing process. Remember that excessive preparation or external tutoring for NAPLAN is not necessary.

Visit the site today: https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/public-demonstration-siteExternal link

ATTENDANCE MATTERS (repeated) 

To support you in monitoring your child’s attendance, we encourage parents to access the Parent Portal in School Bytes where you can view your child’s attendance levels on a visual map. This map provides a clear view of your child’s attendance rate, calculated on the number of actual and partial days attended as a percentage of the total possible school days for the term. Attendance summaries will also be included in your child’s half-yearly and yearly reports.

Instructions for accessing this information through the Parent Portal are provided below. If you need any assistance setting up or navigating the portal, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our business manager, Mrs Clare Cattell.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO SEE ATTENDANCE DATA ON SCHOOL BYTES (repeated)

Once you have set up your Parent Portal account in School Bytes (see below information in 'From the Office' news) you will be able to view your child's attendance data.

In the Parent Portal you will see a tab called 'attendance' on the top bar of the page. This will bring you to your child/ren's attendance information.

2025 Term Dates & Holidays 

TRAVEL SHOULD BE TAKEN DURING SCHOOL VACATION PERIODS, RATHER THAN DURING THE SCHOOL TERM

2025 NSW Term Dates and School Holidays

Please note: School development days for staff are included in these term dates and parents and carers should not send their children to school on these days.

• Term 1 - The last day of term is Friday 11 April. 
• Autumn school holidays - Monday 14 April to Friday 25 April
• Term 2 - Monday 28 April to Friday 4 July. School development days are Monday 28 April and Tuesday 29 April. All students K - 6 begin on Wednesday 30 April.
• Winter school holidays - Monday 7 July to Friday 18 July
• Term 3 – Monday 21 July to Friday 26 September. The school development day is on Monday 21 July and all students K- 6 start on Tuesday 22 July.
• Spring school holidays – Monday 29 September to Friday 10 October
• Term 4 – Monday 13 October to Friday 19 December. The school development day is Monday 13 October. All students K - 6 start on Tuesday 14 October.
• Summer school holidays (Eastern) – Monday 22 December to Monday 26 January 2026

Term 1 Week 7

School Photograph Day - Monday 24th March

In a couple of weeks, the School Photographer will be at JPPS. Students' personalised order envelopes were disseminated to teachers today, ready for distribution to students. Please look out for these. Instructions on how to order photos can be found on the personalised order envelope from The School Photographer. Our office staff do not handle photo orders.

Full summer uniforms (not sports uniforms) need to be worn on photo day.

All parents are required to complete the Third-Party Permission form, for school photographs, on School Bytes. This must be completed for students to appear in class portraits or groups, prior to Thursday 20th March.

It is vital for the smooth operation of the day, that each student returns their own order envelope, even if payment is enclosed is a sibling’s envelope. If you wish to order family portraits (school siblings only), please pop in to the administration office to collect a separate order form. Students are asked to bring these forms back to school on the photo day, which is Monday 24th March.

Irene Robbins
Relieving Deputy Principal

Term 1 Diary Dates 

• Friday 31 January - All staff return
• Thursday 6 February - All students K-6 return
• Monday 10 February - 7pm P & C Meeting via Zoom (refer to Zoom link in P&C section below)
• Monday 10 February - Kindergarten Best Start assessments continue over the next few weeks
• Tuesday 18 February - 7:30am Stage 2 Dance Auditions in hall
• Thursday 20 February - 7:30am Stage 3 Dance Auditions in hall
• Friday 21 February - 7:30am Stage 1 Dance Auditions in hall
• Tuesday 25 February - K-6 Police Talks in the hall
• Wednesday 26 February - 1:35pm Student Leaders' Induction & Awards Assembly under COLA
• Wednesday 26 February - Parent Information Evening on site
• Thursday 27 February - JPPS Swimming Carnival at Knox Aquatic Centre
• Tuesday 4 March - planned date for scripture classes to commence
• Thursday 6 March - Zone Swimming Carnival
• Thursday 6 March - 9am Parent Volunteer Induction Training
• Friday 7 March - Summer PSSA competition begins for Stage 2 and Stage 3
• Monday 10 March - P&C Meeting via Zoom
• Wednesday 12 March - NAPLAN testing period begins
• Wednesday 19 March - 1:35pm Harmony Day and Awards Assembly under COLA
• Thursday 20 March - JPPS Cross Country Carnivals
• Monday 24 March - School Photograph Day (class, individual, sibling portraits)
• Monday 24 March - NAPLAN testing period ends
• Tuesday 25 March - 4 Students Leaders to Halogen Conference
• Tuesday 25 March - 9:30am Parent Interview booking site opens
• Tuesday 1 April - 10:30am Principal's Morning Tea for Bronze Award recipients
• Wednesday 2 April - 11am Morning Tea for Bronze Medallion Recipients in Principal's office
• Friday 4 April - 9:30am Parent Interview booking site closes
• Monday 7 April - Parent Interview week commences
• Monday 7 April - 7:00pm P&C AGM/GM at school in annexe (confirmed)
• Friday 11 April - 9:15am Easter Hat Parade and Awards Assembly under COLA
• Friday 11 April - last day of Term 1

Our School Expectations

Congratulations to our students who have demonstrated our school expectations of Respect, Responsibility and Aspire.

This week's expectation is: 

Responsibility: Accomplish BIG things with a Have a Go mindset

Purchase Pride Badges

Purchase Pride awards recognise positive student behaviour on the playground and in the classroom. When students receive ten Purchase Pride award cards, these should be left in the boxes on the ‘award shelf’ inside the school office foyer. Each set of ten awards needs to be bundled together and clearly labelled with the student’s name and current class. The acceptance of awards closes for administration at 9am every Thursday morning.

Purchase Pride cards also have a 'tear-off' strip. This strip may be removed by the recipient and placed in the appropriate stage box in the award shelf, to go in the lucky dip draw, for a canteen voucher. Canteen vouchers are drawn by our SRC representatives, at the end of each term. Students are notified directly, if successful.

Award recipients will be presented with a coloured Purchase Pride badge, the week after their name is published in this newsletter, at the Monday morning assembly, during term time. This badge may be worn on the school uniform. Students are encouraged to hand in their awards regularly and not 'stockpile' them.

Congratulations:

Serena W (1/2R), Stella W (1/2R), Jancy (2-O), Elaine x 3 (3N), Liam K (3/4B), Satvik (4B), Gracie M x 2 (5W), Jeremy S (5/6B), Avyay K (5/6B)

Class Awards System

In addition to Purchase Prides, JPPS has an incremental class awards system. When a student has received ten class awards, these should be left in the boxes on the ‘award shelf’ inside the school office. The ten class awards need to be bundled together and clearly labelled with the student’s name, current class and award level reached. A clear, snap lock bag is ideal for this purpose! Students need to be responsible for their own awards, as replacements are not issued. Students are encouraged to hand in their awards, rather than 'stockpiling' them until Term 4, so they don't miss out on special celebrations, such as the Principal's Morning Tea.

10 Class Awards = Bronze   20 = Silver   30 = Gold   40 = Bronze Medallion  
50 = Silver Medallion   60 = Gold Medallion  75 = Platinum Medallion and Principal for the Day!

All awards (including Bronze) received by 9am on Thursday mornings, are ‘stamped’ and published in the next school newsletter, which is usually on the following Monday, in term time. At this time, I indicate when these awards will be presented. Silver Awards, Gold Awards and all Medallions, are presented at whole school assemblies. Please note that Bronze Awards are only presented at the end of each term, at the Principal's Morning Tea.

Bronze Award

The Term 1 Principal's Morning Tea, will be held in the hall, at 10:30am on Tuesday 1st April. Parents of recipients are cordially invited to attend. 

Congratulations:

Sherlock Y (2B)

Silver Award

These awards will be presented at the next assembly. This assembly is planned to occur at 1:35pm on Wednesday 19th March, under the COLA. This assembly will be the Harmony Day Assembly. Parents are cordially invited to attend.

Congratulations:

Rayaan S (3/4 B), Lia K (3/4B)

Gold Award

These awards will be presented at the next assembly. This assembly is planned to occur at 1:35pm on Wednesday 19th March, under the COLA. This assembly will be the Harmony Day Assembly. Parents are cordially invited to attend.

Congratulations:

Gracie M (5W), Bhavya S (5/6H)

Bronze Medallion

These awards will be presented at the next assembly. This assembly is planned to occur at 1:35pm on Wednesday 19th March, under the COLA. This assembly will be the Harmony Day Assembly. Parents are cordially invited to attend.

A morning tea for Term 1 Bronze Medallion recipients, will be held on Wednesday 2nd April, at 11am in the Principal's office.

Congratulations: Avyay K (5/6B)

Silver Medallion

These awards will be presented at the next assembly. This assembly is planned to occur at 1:35pm on Wednesday 19th March, under the COLA. This assembly will be the Harmony Day Assembly. Parents are cordially invited to attend.

Gold Medallion

These awards will be presented at the next assembly. This assembly is planned to occur at 1:35pm on Wednesday 19th March, under the COLA. This assembly will be the Harmony Day Assembly. Parents are cordially invited to attend.

Harmony Day 2025

Harmony Day celebrates Australian multiculturalism and the many diverse cultures students represented in our school.

All parents are invited to the Harmony Day Assembly, at 1:35 pm under the COLA on Wednesday, 19 March, 2025.

We look forward to celebrating the day with you. Students are encouraged to wear orange coloured clothing or cultural dress. Please ensure students’ shoulders are covered and they wear enclosed shoes.

On Wednesday 19th March, the canteen will be providing a variety of orange foods for students to purchase on Harmony Day. Lunch orders will still be available as usual.

A big thank you to our executive staff, teachers and school canteen who are supporting the day!

Mrs Gill Scott and Mrs Rebecca Taylor
JPPS EAL/D Teachers

SRC News

I had the honour of participating in the induction of our Student Representative Council (SRC) members during a special leadership assembly last week.

Congratulations to the JPPS SRC 2025!

Our newly elected representatives held their inaugural meeting on Thursday, March 6. The meeting began with roll call and an Acknowledgement of Country, delivered by Taj L.

During our gathering, students had the opportunity to connect with one another, sharing their names and an interesting fact about themselves. We also established our meeting norms, with valuable suggestions focusing on mutual respect, adherence to school rules, and fostering polite communication.

A key responsibility of the SRC is to serve as a vital link between students and staff. This role was underscored as we acknowledged our duty to represent student interests and advocate for social justice within our school and the broader community. We took time to reflect on previous fundraising initiatives, such as our support for the Make-a-Wish Foundation in 2024 and the positive impact we made. We also considered the privileges we are fortunate to enjoy, including access to education and a safe learning environment.

Before our next meeting, students will return to their classes to collect feedback on ways we can enhance the experiences of JPPS students and contribute positively to our wider community in 2025. In a fun initiative, students have created a short video to share with each class, ensuring that the efforts of the SRC are communicated effectively across the school. Thank you Sasha and Taj, for volunteering to record the first video.Well done!

I’m looking forward to supporting our SRC in making a meaningful impact again this year.

Jessica Lizarraga
Science and Technology Teacher

Sports Report

Summer PSSA results 

Stage 2 vs Beecroft Public School

Tee Ball

JPPS Boys 8 won to BPS 3
JPPS Girls 7 tied to BPS 7

League Tag 

JPPS Boys 2 lost against BPS 7
JPPS Girls 9 won against BPS 7

Stage 3 

Cancelled due to wet weather

Miss Laura Davidson
Sports Coordinator 

Swimming Carnival

Congratulations to all students who participated in the swimming carnival on 27 February.

Students who place 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th overall will be receiving a ribbon this Friday at the morning assembly.

Please see results in the table below:

2025 Primary Cross Country Carnival

The Primary Cross Country Carnival will be held on Thursday, 20th March at Greenway Oval. Notes for this event have been sent out today.

Please complete these as soon as possible. If your child is in Year 2 and is turning 8 years old this year, they are invited to participate. Please make sure you have completed a permission note.

Mrs Murray and Miss Brennan 

Important Message to Year 6 Parents and Carers - Year 7 2026 (repeated)

Dear Parents and Carers of Students currently in Year 6 in 2025

Even though the school year has only just begun, parents and carers must begin the online process of enrolling your child into high school for 2026. You will need to complete an expression of interest (EOI) form using the following link: 

Enrolment form (for moving on from Year 6 to 7). Applications are ONLINE.

The expression of interest will let you indicate which school you would like your child to attend in Year 7. 

If your child will not be attending an NSW Government high school next year, please let us know by completing a placement not-required form. 

If you are unsure whether they will be attending a NSW Government school, such as if you have applied for a private school or moving interstate, we ask that you still complete an EOI and follow up with your school once a decision has been made. 

The online process will guide you through your options and collect the information required to make the process as smooth as possible. 

For further information, including translation instructions, please visit: year 7 High school enrollment.

Mrs Adele Walters

Stage 3 Relieving Assistant Principal

LOST PROPERTY

The lost property boxes are sitting on the benches outside the admin block.  The office staff are happy to deliver your child's items back to their class if their name is clearly visible.

If your child has misplaced something please check these boxes regularly.

SZAPP - repeated

Szapp is our handy mobile app for communications if your child/ren are on an excursion, at a dancing/sporting event or if there are any last minute changes to a timetable.  From time to time there are delays in buses returning to school on time or, there are unforseeable changes to an event that we need to get information to you in a hurry.  An example of this is when it rains and PSSA sport training is held before normal school hours.  Training can be cancelled so we need to notify you that training is off so you don't bring your child/ren to school as early.

The weekly newsletter can also be viewed via this app. 

Please help us by following the instructions below and install it on your device.  It would be a great idea to turn notifications on for this so you are notified immediately of any changes.

HOW TO SET UP THE PARENT PORTAL ACCOUNT IN SCHOOL BYTES - Repeated

IMPORTANT: To ensure that the registration process works smoothly, and you can link your account to your child, make sure that you use the same email address that you have provided to the school upon your child’s enrolment.

The School Bytes Parent Portal can be accessed via an app on your mobile device or your computer. The Parent App can be found on your mobile device’s app store. 

Please find detailed information on the below link on how to set up a parent portal account. 

https://support.schoolbytes.education/hc/en-us/articles/5184859634191-Parent-PortalSet-up-your-parent-portal-account

How to login and use Parent Portal?

Open the portal link and login: https://portal.schoolbytes.education/auth/login

Currently, we are using the following modules:

• Payments - to get a statement of account and make payments for fees and excursions.
• Activities - to check the current events and give a consent to participate and pay any fees attached to an activity.
• Forms -  to give consent for any permission forms, submit change of details form or extended leave applications.
• Attendance - to view and manage your child's attendance, including creating future absences and responding to attendance alerts as required.

P & C Meeting 7pm Tonight via Zoom

Monday, 10th March, via Zoom. All parents are very welcome to attend.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://nsweducation.zoom.us/j/63488311261?pwd=9INfOObLsXCgHzTb3ViHTEQ8DGS62y.1

Meeting ID: 634 8831 1261
Passcode: JPPS

One tap mobile
+61272530539,,63488311261# Australia
+61280156011,,63488311261# Australia

Dial by your location
• +61 2 7253 0539 Australia
• +61 2 8015 6011 Australia
Meeting ID: 634 8831 1261

Please be advised that the AGM and General Meeting of the P & C will be held on Monday 7th April, commencing at 7pm in the school annexe. Nominations for positions are now being advertised and interested parents are invited to complete the form below and submit this to the front office prior to the AGM.

JPPS UNIFORM SHOP

Opening Hours (School Days):

8:30-9:30am every Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Dear Parents,

1. We are temporarily unable to accept donations of pre loved uniforms until further notice, as our shop currently has an excess of stock. We appreciate your kindness and understanding.
   
2. Recently, we have received requests from parents to exchange items without full packaging. To avoid disappointment, please note that all size exchanges must be made within 14 days of purchase, with the item in its ORIGINAL packaging and accompanied by the receipt. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to process exchanges for items that do not meet these conditions.
   

Thanks for your understanding!

Regards 

Pace
Uniform Shop Manager

FROM THE CANTEEN

Volunteers needed urgently!

Our school canteen is in URGENT need of volunteers to help keep it running smoothly!  We have a few days where we desperately need an extra helper - specifically Wednesday and Thursday. If you can spare time from 9.30am - 1.15pm once a month, please email jpps.canteen@gmail.com or call us. Your support makes a huge difference -

Thank you in advance!

Please note our school publishes community information for the convenience of families but does not endorse any activity, organisation, person or product.

JOHN PURCHASE PUBLIC SCHOOL accepts no responsibility for content on third-party websites and providing a link does not imply that the school endorses that website.