Term 2 Week 10 Newsletter - Monday 30 June 2025

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TERM 2 WEEK 10

As we approach the conclusion of Term 2 and prepare for the upcoming winter break, I would like to take a moment to express our gratitude for your ongoing commitment to your children’s education throughout the term. Your active participation and support play a vital role in enriching their learning experience.

As mentioned in previous newsletters, Semester 1 reports for students will be available on the Parent Portal this coming Thursday morning. Learning is a journey, and these reports offer a wonderful opportunity for reflection and discussion regarding each student's current progress and future goals. We encourage you to approach these reports constructively, as they are designed to promote positivity and growth. By working together, we can support our children's development in a nurturing environment, celebrating their achievements while also identifying areas for further improvement as they continue on their educational journey.

Looking ahead to Term 3, we are excited about the opportunities for continued growth and success that await our students. We are also preparing to celebrate Education Week, which will take place from August 4 to 8. This year’s theme, ‘Ignite Your Potential’, highlights the importance of supporting every student to learn, grow, and thrive. We will share more information about our school’s activities for this special week early next term.

Details about upcoming events will also be shared at the beginning of Term 3.

Mrs Irene Robbins
Relieving Principal

Spotlight on Student Learning

I am thrilled to share the wonderful work our students have been doing as they embrace their creativity and love for writing. Recently, students across the school have been busy becoming young authors, learning how to create hybrid texts. But what exactly is a hybrid text? In simple terms, a hybrid text combines different types of writing—like factual information, storytelling, and persuasive techniques—all into one engaging piece. This allows students to express their ideas and knowledge in a unique and captivating way.

In the last few weeks our Stage 1 students have taken exciting steps into the world of hybrid texts, blending facts and creativity in their writing. Exploring the topic of sharks, students experimented with figurative language to enhance their descriptions and engage the reader.

Meanwhile, in Year 5, students embarked on a project titled Exploring the Wonders of Nature. Each student selected a natural wonder that captured their interest—such as Machu Picchu, Tuvalu Island, the Great Barrier Reef, and Mount Everest—and created a hybrid text that combined factual information, narrative elements, and persuasive language.

Through careful research, students investigated their chosen wonder’s location, formation, cultural significance, and the impact of human activity—both positive and negative. Their work also explored conservation efforts, highlighting the importance of protecting these incredible sites for future generations.

Here are just a few examples of the remarkable work from 5W:

We are incredibly proud of the enthusiasm, creativity, and effort our students have shown in producing these pieces. We encourage you to chat with your child about their writing—what they discovered, what they enjoyed, and what they’d like to explore next.

Thank you for your continued support as we nurture curiosity, creativity, and a love of learning across every stage.

Wishing you all a safe and rejuvenating holiday break. Please note that students will return to school on Tuesday, 22 July, and the first newsletter of Term 3 will be distributed on Monday, 28 July.

As we often say at school:

"In a world where you can be anything, be kind—and always stay curious."

NEW OOSH SERVICE  - Parent Information Session
TUESDAY 1 JULY @ 5.30pm

Please see the flyer below for the meeting ID and passcode for this 30 minute information session.

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.

• 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 2 Week 10

Monday 30th June 2025

Parents are invited to attend the Principal’s Morning Tea in celebration of our Bronze Award recipients, taking place tomorrow at 10:30am in the school hall. We look forward to acknowledging the achievements of these students.

This Wednesday morning, our Year 6 students will depart for their Canberra excursion at 6:30am. This highly anticipated and enriching experience would not be possible without the generous commitment of our dedicated staff. I extend thanks to Mrs Walters (Stage 3 Assistant Principal), along with Miss Brennan, Miss Scholz, Mrs Berry and Mrs Aoutal, all of whom are generously giving their time and care to support our students during this extended time away from home. Your dedication is appreciated.

Following the winter holiday break, staff will return on Monday, 21st July for a School Development Day. Teachers will be working on the new PDHPE syllabus which will be mandatory from 2027 and they will continue working on the development of Cultures of Thinking across our classrooms. 

All students will return to school for the start of Term 3 on Tuesday, 22nd July. 

Please note, our next school newsletter will be published on Monday, 28th July.

I hope this break gives all families a chance to recharge and share many happy moments together.

Leonie Cole
Relieving Deputy Principal

LOST PROPERTY

We kindly ask parents and carers to check the lost property collection, located outside the school office, for any missing items. Please ensure you do so before Friday, 4th July, as any items that don’t have a name on them will be donated or repurposed after this date.

To assist us in returning lost items promptly, we strongly encourage families to clearly label all belongings, including clothing, lunch boxes, drink bottles, and sporting equipment. 

Proper labelling is the most effective way to ensure that misplaced items can be quickly returned to their rightful owners.

Thank you for your cooperation and support.

Term 2 Diary Dates 

• Monday 28 April - Staff Development Day
• Tuesday 29 April - Staff Development Day
• Wednesday 30 April - Students return to school
• Wednesday 30 April - K-6 ANZAC Remembrance Service under the COLA
• Monday 5 May - 5/6H Parent-Teacher Interviews scheduled this week in administration block
• Monday 5 May - 7pm P & C Meeting via Zoom
• Thursday 8 May - P & C Mothers' Day Stall at school
• Friday 9 May - 7am P & C Mothers' Day Breakfast at school 
• Monday 12 May - Stage 2 Zoo Excursion
• Wednesday 14 May - 1:35pm K-6 Assembly under COLA - Stage 1 item
• Friday 16 May - Walk Safely to School Day
• Thursday 22 May - Zone Cross Country Carnival
• Friday 23 May - Winter PSSA competition begins for Stage 2 and Stage 3 teams
• Monday 26 May - National Sorry Day
• Monday 26 May - Gumnut & Wattle Debating Teams to Castle Hill PS
• Tuesday 27 May - National Reconciliation Week
• Wednesday 28 May - Stage Finals of Spelling Bee 
• Wednesday 4 June - 1:35pm K-6 Assembly under COLA
• Monday 9 June - Public Holiday
• Thursday 12 June - JPPS Athletics Carnival at Greenway Oval
• Monday 16 June - 7pm P & C Meeting via Zoom
• Wednesday 18 June - 1:35pm K-6 Assembly under COLA Stage 2 item
• Thursday 19 June - Athletics Carnival Backup date in case of inclement weather
• Monday 30 June - Bronze Medallion Morning Tea with executive
• Tuesday 1 July - 10:30am Principal's Morning Tea for Bronze Award Recipients in hall with parents
• Tuesday 1 July - 5:30pm Their Care (new before/after school provider) Information Session via Zoom
• Wednesday 2 July - Year 6 Excursion to Canberra (3 days)
• Thursday 3 July - Semester 1 Student Reports published on Impromation Parent Portal
• Friday 4 July - Year 6 return from Canberra
• Friday 4 July - Last day of Term 2

Our School Expectations

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

This week's expectation is: Responsibility: Look after all your belongings

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:

Sophie Z (KS), Howard P  (KS), Asher P (KS), Logan M (1KR), Matilda C (1KR) x2, Claire G (1/2R), Lucy B (1KR), Bryan Y (2B), Caleb W (2B), Ava S (2O), Mavis C x3, Jordan C (3L), Lisa W (3L) x2 (3L), Edwina H (3S), Olivia C (3N), Christopher H (4B), Jonah V (4B) 

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

Bronze Awards will be presented at the Term 2 Principal's Morning Tea, for Bronze Award recipients. This special event will be held tomorrow at 10:30am, Tuesday 1st July, in the school hall. Parents are cordially invited to attend.

Congratulations:  Hudson T (2-O)

Silver Award

These awards will be presented at the next assembly. This assembly is planned to occur at 1:35pm, under the COLA, on Wednesday 18th June. Parents are cordially invited to attend.

Gold Award

These awards will be presented at the next assembly. This assembly is planned to occur at 1:35pm, under the COLA, on Wednesday 4th June. Parents are cordially invited to attend.

Congratulations:

Bronze Medallion

These awards will be presented at the next assembly. This assembly is planned to occur at 1:35pm, under the COLA, on Wednesday 6th August. Parents are cordially invited to attend.

A morning tea for Term 2 Bronze Medallion recipients will be held in the principal's office at recess on Monday 30th June.

Congratulations:  Jane R (6R) 

Silver Medallion

These awards will be presented at the next assembly. This assembly is planned to occur at 1:35pm, under the COLA, on Wednesday 18th June. 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, under the COLA, on Wednesday 18th June. Parents are cordially invited to attend.

SPORTS REPORT Winter PSSA results

Winter PSSA results 
Stage 2 vs Normanhurst West Public School

Soccer
JPPS Boys 2 lost to NHWPS 7
JPPSGirls 0 lost to NHWPS 1 

Netball 
JPPS Boys 6 lost against NHWPS 10
JPPS Girls 8 lost against NHWPS 19 

Stage 3 vs Pennant Hills Public School

Soccer
JPPS Boys 3 won against PHPS 0
JPPS Girls 0 lost against PHPS 2 

Netball
JPPS Boys 23 won to PHPS 15
JPPS Girls 9 lost to PHPS 59

Laura Davidson
Sports Co-ordinator

PLEASE CHECK FOR ANY OF YOUR CHILD'S LOST PROPERTY BEFORE THE END OF TERM! 

UNNAMED ITEMS LEFT WILL BE DONATED TO CHARITY!

STUDENT TRAVEL PASSES

Students who require a School Opal card or travel pass but have not yet applied need to apply or update their details as soon as possible.

In the Opal network, students should travel with a Child/Youth Opal card until they receive their valid School Opal card. If outside Greater Sydney, parents should contact their local bus operator to discuss their travel needs.

Students living in rural and regional areas will receive their travel pass from their nominated transport operator. It may be issued via their school or be sent directly to them at home. Note: some rural and regional operators do not issue travel passes. Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.

TERMS OF USE

Students using School Opal cards must tap on and tap off in line with the Opal terms of use .

This includes travel within the approved times between 6.30am and 7.00pm from Monday to Friday on school days only. Students must use their Child/Youth Opal card for any travel outside these times.

All students are required to comply with the Student code of conduct. The code of conduct aims to ensure the safety and well-being of school children and other passengers. It is important that parents ensure their child is aware of this, as failure to comply with the code of conduct can result in a suspension from travel.

JPPS UNIFORM SHOP

Uniform Shop Closure Notice : Mid-Year Stock Take
​
Shop will be closed for Mid-Year Stocktake on 25-27 June (Wed-Fri). Pls take your online order before or after this period.

General Notes:

Opening Hours (School Days):  8:30-9:30am every Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

Online Ordering & Pick Up In Shop:
To shorten your waiting time in the shop, we highly recommend all parents order uniforms online and arrange pick up. Items can be changed if there is a sizing issue.https://uniforms.jppspandc.org.au/

Friendly Reminders: 
Any size change of items (except hats & socks) has to be arranged within 14 days upon purchase with FULL packaging and receipt shown ONLY. Any used items or missing packaging will definitely NOT be accepted.

FROM THE CANTEEN

Thank you - A massive thank you to the mums who helped out at the canteen for the Athletics Carnival last Thursday.  Without the help of our volunteers, it would not be possible to provide a canteen service at the carnival so we are very grateful for the help we received on the day.  A special mention of thanks to Mr Morris for volunteering his time on the bbq for the carnival.


Volunteers needed:  The canteen is also in URGENT need of volunteers to help keep it running smoothly!  We have a few days where we desperately need an extra helper - specifically Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. If you can spare time from 9.30am - 1.15pm once a month, please email jpps.canteen@gmail.com

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.

A MESSAGE FROM THEIRCARE OOSH SERVICE

TheirCare is an experienced Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) company with 495 services nationally. TheirCare was founded in 2017 and provides a stimulating and safe environment for all children in OSHC. During sessions, children develop life-skills, friendships, confidence, and creativity through play-based programs. We look forward to starting the TheirCare service with an official start date of Monday 21^st July - 2025. An online information night is scheduled on Tuesday 1^st July – 5.30pm (details attached) so families can meet the team and to find out about registrations, times and bookings for the service.

🎉 Ready to Jump In? Let’s Get Started!

Not enrolled yet for OSHC? No stress—it’s super quick and easy to sign up! Just click here and get started.

📝 A Few Quick Checks Before You Finish:

To help us create the best experience for your child, please double-check these details during enrolment:

• ✅ Emergency contacts – make sure we have someone to call if needed
• ✅ Medical information – including allergies, medications, or health conditions
• ✅ Any diagnoses – like asthma, anaphylaxis, or other important info

This info helps us keep your child safe, supported, and smiling throughout their time with us.💬 Got Questions? We’re Here to Help! Our friendly Customer Support Team is available Monday to Friday, 6:30 AM – 8:00 PM (AEST) 📞 1300 072 410📧 info@theircare.com.au

We can’t wait to welcome your family to TheirCare!

Please also refer to the flyers below for further information.