Welcome to our school newsletter - "your local school....our local community" 

Dear Parent and Carers,

I can’t believe we only have a fortnight of learning before we head into spring vacation. 

Fathers’ Day Stall and Breakfast

Last week, we saw our school community come together to honour and celebrate our fathers and father figures. Our P and C organised both the Father’s Day stall and the Father’s Day breakfast. I’m sure our fathers were delighted with the presents chosen by their children at our stall. Once again there was a great variety and certainly bargains for our eager shoppers. The community events are a wonderful opportunity to show our appreciation for the love, support, and guidance that fathers provide to their children and families. Thank you to all who volunteered to make these events a success.

School Administration and Support Staff Recognition Week 1st -5th September

SASS Recognition Week is an annual event dedicated to acknowledging and celebrating the valuable contributions of School Administrative and Support Staff (SASS) within the education system. The week provides an opportunity to recognise the hard work, dedication, and essential roles that SASS employees play in supporting schools, students, teachers, and the broader school community. Their work includes administration, clerical tasks, student support, maintenance, and other vital services that help ensure schools run smoothly and effectively. SASS Recognition Week highlights the importance of these staff members and expresses appreciation for their ongoing commitment to education.

Thank you to our P and C, the many parents and students who dropped off delightful goodies and cards to thank our wonderful SASS staff. They were really spoilt by your generosity and kind words.

Here’s cheers to our SASS staff:

• Mrs Sue Aldridge School Administration Officer  (SAM)

• Mrs Sandy Harwood School Administration Officer (SAO)

• Mrs Dani Grainger School Administration Officer (SAO) and  (SLSO)

• Mrs Renee Forester School Learning Support Officer (SLSO)

• Ms McKenzie Ellis School Learning Support Officer (SLSO)

• Mrs Jade Garnett School Learning Support Officer (SLSO)

• Ms Kadisha Ramlawie School Learning Support Officer (SLSO)

• Mrs  Annie Demirjin School Learning Support Officer (SLSO)

• Mr Gary Fletcher General Assistant

• Mr Sandro Fiora General Assistant

Thank you SASS staff for all that you do for our students and school community.

NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge

Congratulations to all the students who have successfully completed the 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge! This yearly event inspires thousands of students across the state to develop a lifelong love of reading. The Challenge encourages children and young people to discover new stories, ideas, and viewpoints, helping to grow their creativity, critical thinking, and empathy.

Taking part in the Challenge not only boosts literacy skills but also builds confidence and motivation. By reading a wide variety of books, students expand their understanding of the world and improve their communication skills.

A big thank you to Mrs Fowler for her ongoing encouragement of our students to participate in the Challenge, and to the parents who have supported their child/ children throughout the event. Together, we are helping our students become enthusiastic readers with a strong passion for learning.

Extra- Curricular Opportunities for our students

2025 Festival of Instrumental Music performance

The festival is an annual concert series presented by The Arts Unit of the NSW Department of Education. One of the festival’s highlights is the Combined Recorder Ensemble, which demonstrates the recorder as an accessible instrument with a diverse and rich repertoire.

I was incredibly proud to see our recorder ensemble, made up of 73 enthusiastic students from Stages 1 to 3, perform on stage and captivate the audience with a high-quality performance. It was truly a fantastic concert! I highly recommend it to anyone who might recall playing the recorder in their youth, as I’m confident you would be impressed by the skill and talent displayed.

The day was long, including a rehearsal, a pre-performance dinner at a restaurant, and the concert itself. Thank you also to Mrs. Hay for her support of our students throughout the day. They certainly came to life when it was their time to shine and they all should be very proud of their achievement.

A sincere thank you to Mrs. Ignazzi and Mr. Fung for teaching our recorder ensemble and providing the opportunity to perform in a world-class venue. We greatly appreciate the many rehearsals and guidance you offered the students to ensure the experience was enjoyable and a night to remember!

Student Comperes

Congratulations to our Year 6 students Sarah-Jane F and Zachary H who have been invited to be student comperes for the Primary Proms Coorong Concert at the Sydney Town Hall on Tuesday 23 September. Thank you Mrs Ignazzi for sourcing opportunities such as this to allow for our students to shine!

Relationships Australia

Relationships Australia is a national organisation that provides a wide range of services to support individuals, families, and communities in building healthy and respectful relationships. Their goal is to promote positive relationships and well-being across all stages of life. We have worked closely with Relationships Australia over the last five years supporting students with the Friends Resilience Program and Parent Information sessions. This term Sally Hodges from Relationships Australia has successfully conducted weekly Seasons for Growth sessions which is a small group education program that supports children and young people navigate any change, grief and loss. I look forward to continuing working with them again next year.

Leave

We would like to remind you that for any student leave exceeding three consecutive days, it is not sufficient to simply record the absence in the School Bytes portal. An Extended Leave Form must be completed and submitted for approval.

To complete the Extended Leave Form, please log in to School Bytes and navigate to: Forms > Attendance > Extended Leave Application

Submitting this form ensures your child's extended absence is properly documented and approved in line with school requirements.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please feel free to contact the school office.

Thank you for your cooperation.

R U Ok Day- a splash of yellow

R U OK? Day is a National Day of Action in Australia dedicated to encouraging people to check in on the wellbeing of friends, family, colleagues, and community members. The day aims to promote meaningful conversations about mental health and emotional wellbeing, reminding everyone to ask the simple question, "Are you OK?" and to offer support if someone is struggling. It encourages people to listen, show care, and connect with others.

Our SRC wanted to participate in this year’s event by wearing a yellow accessory and asking the question R U OK?

Student-Led Reporting and Jump off Day-19th September

The staff and students are looking forward to welcoming parents onsite to participate in our Student -led Reporting on Friday 19th September. 

Student-led reporting is an approach to student assessment and communication where students take an active role in sharing their learning progress, achievements, and areas for improvement with their parents. Students reflect on their work, set goals, and present evidence of their learning. This process encourages students to develop self-awareness, responsibility for their learning, and communication skills, fostering a deeper understanding of their academic journey. It also promotes a collaborative partnership between students, teachers, and families in supporting student growth.

We will also be showcasing our skipping skills as we raise money for the Heart Foundation. A huge thank you to all those who have helped raise money for a worthy cause!

Mrs Brooks

Principal

Supporting Student Wellbeing

After six years, research from The Resilience Project schools has shown powerful outcomes for students. Secondary students reported:

• Higher scores across all positive mental health outcomes – including life satisfaction, hope and coping skills.

• Significantly lower odds of mental illness – with 34% lower rates of anxiety and 47% lower rates of depression.

While this data comes from secondary schools, the findings highlight the long-term benefits of building positive mental health skills early. For our primary students, the program helps foster important foundations such as gratitude, empathy, mindfulness, and emotional literacy. These skills not only support their current wellbeing but also set them up for success as they move through school and beyond.

By embedding The Resilience Project into our classrooms, we are giving students the tools they need to grow into resilient, confident, and compassionate learners.

Mrs Martin & Ms Sullivan

School photos

 School photo day is in week 2, Term 4 on Wednesday 22nd October. Please refer to the flyer for the school code and instructions on how to order your photos. 

Class photos, individual and sibling photos will be on Wednesday 22nd October.

Sports photos in PSSA uniforms will be on Thursday 23rd October.

Jump Rope for Heart

We are nearly 4 weeks into our Jump Rope for Heart program. Our program will conclude on Friday, 19 September, with our Jump Off at recess (following Student Led Reporting).

Currently we have raised over $18 000 for The Heart Foundation - this is such an incredible achievement Putney! We are so thankful for all the support for this worthy cause. THANK YOU!

Aside from the incredible contribution to The Heart Foundation, it has been truly heart-warming to see how so many of our students have embraced skipping as new hobby! There is a huge group of children choosing to skip at recess and lunch, and there is a very committed crew skipping at POOSH too! We hope this continues long after the program in classes finishes.

Keep up the wonderful work! I wonder what our final total will be?!

Stage 2 Excursion Writing 

This term, Stage 2 students had the exciting opportunity to visit Allianz Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). The excursion gave students a behind-the-scenes look at two of Sydney’s most famous sporting venues.

As part of the day, students explored the stadiums, learned about their history, and imagined what it would be like to compete on the same fields as some of Australia’s greatest athletes. Following the tour, students took part in a writing activity, creating detailed recounts of their experience. This was a fantastic chance for them to practise using descriptive language and sequencing events while reflecting on an unforgettable day. 

Stage 2 Teachers 

Mrs Martin, Miss Scarcella, Miss Flint, Miss Donnelly and Mr Webb

SASS Appreciation Week

Last week we celebrated our amazing School Administrative and Support Staff (SASS), and what a wonderful week it was! From heartfelt thank-you notes to small tokens of appreciation, the whole school community came together to recognise the vital role our SASS team plays each day.

While SASS Appreciation Week shines a spotlight on their work, let’s carry that gratitude through the year. A kind word, a simple “thank you,” or lending a hand when things get busy can make a huge difference. Our SASS staff are the backbone of our school, and showing ongoing support keeps morale strong and our community connected.

SHU Stall

Our Second-Hand Uniform Stall is coming up! This is a great opportunity to stock up on affordable, good-quality uniforms while also supporting the school.

Where: K - 2 COLA

When: Friday 19th September 9-11:45am

Volunteers Needed!

We need extra hands to help sort, set up, and run the stall on the day. If you can spare even a short time, please sign up here.

Donations of clean, good-quality uniforms are also welcome. Please drop them at the office in the week leading up to the stall.

Thank you for helping us make this a success!

Our current and amazing P&C Exec Committee will be stepping down at the end of their term, and a new Committee will be elected at the AGM.

This is a fantastic opportunity for parents, carers, grandparents and local citizens to get involved, have a say in our school community, and help shape the future for our children.

The P&C raises thousands of dollars per year for the school to purchase fundamental items for our children's learning including laptops, ipads and classroom supplies. It also runs the canteen and the Second Hand Uniform Shop as well as events such as the disco and Mothers/Fathers Day stall and breakfast. We can’t continue this important work without community members stepping forward. You don’t need to have children at the school to join – just a willingness to contribute to the success of our students and community. We are looking for nominations for all roles, in particular the Treasurer role.

Why nominate to be on the P&C Committee?

• Be part of decisions that directly benefit students

• Contribute to school initiatives, events, and fundraising

• Build connections with other families and staff

• Develop new skills in leadership, teamwork, and community engagement

 Committee Roles Available

If you're considering stepping up to one of these roles but have questions/concerns please email info@putneypc.org.au.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. The canteen, SHU and any events listed in this newsletter section cannot run without a P&C. There are many different jobs which can be done with many different time commitments in many different locations. We know it looks scary. We know it's hard when you work full time. The more people we have the easier everything is. 

The exec team is stepping down but we are not leaving the school. We will be available for a handover, transition period and ongoing support.

Canteen

As always, any questions or feedback concerning the canteen can be emailed to canteen@putneypc.org.au.

Take Home Meals

The Bamboo Snack Shack is now offering take home meals. Options are:

• beef lasagna 

• spinach and ricotta cannelloni

• pizza packs

All items are $40 (pizza toppings extra). 

Order cut off for these items is Sunday, with a pick up day of Tuesday or Friday. Please put your name and number in the comments section when you check out and Tizzy will be in contact to arrange pickup.

Do you have any suggestions for what else we can offer? Please email canteen@putneypc.org.au.

We need you!

We work hard to raise funds, and we’d much rather spend every cent on our kids and teachers than on the boring stuff! That’s why this board is here - to let our school community know what we actually need. With your help, we can save some dollars at little to no cost to you. Thanks in advance for keeping our wallets - and spirits - happy!

Screens, Teens & Tweens: Helping families improve digital mental health

We have been approached by Nick Kenny, a motivational speaker who is offering to deliver a session to parents on managing screen time.

The outcomes of this session would be:

✅ The neuroscience of devices and impact on developing brains

✅ Simple & effective tips to manage screen time and minimise harm

✅ How to create and maintain effective boundaries

✅ Research-backed guidelines for specific ages

✅ Learn how to create and model healthy habits

If you would be interested in attending this session please email info@putneypc.org.au. We will only proceed if we receive enough people interested, as there is a cost associated with this session.