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

Dear Parent and Carers,

Once again it has been a busy fortnight and a pleasure to open up our classrooms for parents to see explicit teaching and/ or Morning Routine in action.

Public Education Week - Inspiring Excellence

During Public Education Week classroom visits, followed by a delightful picnic recess. Our extra-curricular groups showcased their talents with wonderful performances for parents and visitors. 

Congratulations to our bands, Senior Dance group, Choir, and Recorder Ensemble for their outstanding efforts.

Thanks so much to our wonderful teachers for making sure everything ran smoothly and for organising all the performance groups. A big shout-out to our Canteen team for the picnic boxes, they made the morning even more enjoyable. 

Save the Date - Friday 18th September

Student-led reporting will take place during the morning session on Friday 18th September. Student-led reporting is one of our school approaches to reporting to parents where students take an active role in communicating their own learning progress, achievements, and areas for improvement. This method encourages self-assessment, responsibility, and ownership of learning, helping students develop critical thinking and communication skills. It also fosters a more personalised and meaningful dialogue about student growth. 

The proposed times are:

Years 3-6: 9:30-10:15 

 K-2: 10:15-11:00 

We use student voice to improve our processes. Student feedback from 2025 includes:

What students liked most about Student Led Reporting:

• Parents were able to come into the classroom and see their learning.

• They enjoyed completing activities and sharing work with their parents.

• Students felt proud showing their parents the progress they had made throughout the year.

Suggestions for improvement from students:

• Include opportunities for parents and students to complete a short task together.

• Add a wider variety of subjects or learning areas to showcase.

• Include fun interactive elements such as a short quiz for parents.

I hope you can join us for this event. More information will be available soon.

Kindergarten 2027

It was wonderful to welcome 2027 Kindergarten students and their parents to our school on Tuesday.

Our Recorder Ensemble welcomed our visitors to our school with a beautiful rendition of music they will perform later this term at the Sydney Opera House. Our energetic Senior Dance group entertained with their lively performance of "Brand New Day." Pre-schoolers and their parents were led by our capable Year 5 students around the school and participated in four activities as a taster to “Big School.” 

The morning was a great success thanks to the combined efforts of our school community.  Staff, students, and parents worked together to create a valuable and welcoming experience for the prospective 2027 Kindergarten cohort. I would also like to extend our thanks to the P&C Canteen for providing fruit cups for the students, and to the current Kindergarten parents who mingled with prospective families following the activities to answer questions and share their perspectives. 

We currently have 40 students enrolled for Kindergarten for next year. If your child is ready to start school, please complete an online enrolment for next year if you haven't done so already.

NCCD Collection 

The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) is an annual process through which all Australian schools identify and record the level of support provided to students with disability. The purpose of the NCCD is to ensure that schools receive appropriate funding and resources to support these students effectively.

During the collection, schools gather information on the adjustments made across teaching, learning environments, and resources, tailored to meet individual student needs. This data helps to build a clearer picture of how students with disability are supported nationwide, informing policy and funding decisions at both state and federal levels.

Participation in the NCCD is mandatory and underpins our commitment to inclusivity and equity in education. Through this process, we continue to work towards providing every student with the opportunities and support their need to succeed.

If you have any questions about the NCCD or how we support students with disability at our school, please feel free to contact us.

Year 1 Phonics Screening Check 

During Weeks 4 and 5, Year 1 students will be undergoing the Phonics screener which is an assessment used in NSW public schools to evaluate students' phonics skills early in their schooling. It helps teachers identify how well students can recognise and use letter-sound relationships to decode words, a fundamental skill for reading development.

During the screener, students read a list of real and nonsense (pseudo) words aloud. This allows teachers to assess the students’ ability to apply phonics knowledge to unfamiliar words. The information gained supports teachers in providing targeted instruction and intervention where needed.

The Year 1 Phonics Screener is  part of the NSW Department of Education’s efforts to support early literacy and ensure all students build strong reading foundations. It is not a formal test but a diagnostic tool to guide teaching and learning.

Check In Assessments Years 3-6

In Weeks 7 and 8 of this term, we will be conducting Check-in Assessments with our Years 3–6 students. Stage 2 will complete their assessments in Week 7, followed by Stage 3 in Week 8.

The Check-in Assessment is a short, online tool used across NSW public schools for students in Years 3 to 9. It provides valuable insights into student understanding of key skills in reading and numeracy. This assessment helps teachers monitor student progress and identify areas where additional support may be needed.

The information gathered from the Check-in Assessment guides our teaching and learning programs, ensuring we can tailor instruction to best support the growth and success of every student.

Professional Learning 

As part of our ongoing commitment to improving student writing, our staff recently completed training in grammar. Moving forward, the team from 24/7 will work with us to implement strategies that explicitly teach grammar through the "Sentence of the Day" activity during our daily Morning Routine. 

P and C Executive

I’d like to extend my thanks to Jess Clough outgoing P and C president who announced at last week’s P and C meeting that she will be stepping down. Her dedication and hard work over the past year have been deeply appreciated by all of us at the school. It has been a pleasure working with her, and her contributions have made a real difference to the school community. 

P and C Disability Sub Committee

I’d like to thank our P and C Disability sub committee who have helped us source opportunities for our students with disabilities. Yesterday, students attended Abilities Unleashed Sports Day accompanied by Mrs St Flour and parents. I appreciate the opportunity to meet with the committee to provide engaging opportunities for our students.

Spelling Champions

I was a proud Principal to celebrate the fantastic news that both our students Caellum G and Timmy S came runner up in the Snr and Jnr Regional Spelling Bee Final recently, battling through 16 rounds of difficult words. Congratulations! Thank you to Mrs Hedge for coordinating the competition.

Thank you to our school community for continuing to support our school events. Our students and teachers loved having parents and new families visit and watching our students perform. We’re looking forward to Book Week and welcoming Macquarie University Practicum students during the next fortnight. 

Michelle Brooks

Principal

Stage 1 Excursion to Kalkari Discovery Centre

In Stage 1, we were blessed with great weather for our excursion to the Kalkari Discovery Centre. There, we were guided on an exploration of the bush, collected and categorised invertebrates, and modelled our own invertebrates using clay and natural materials. A great day all round!

Hi everyone,

There's only a few days left of the P&C's FUNdraising Silent Auction which closes at 9pm this Sunday (16 August 2026) - with heaps of great items up for grabs and all proceeds going straight back to the school, it's time to get your bid on!! Thank you again also to all the awesome businesses from near and far who have generously donated items for the auction! 

Silent Auction: CLICK HERE

Special offer for PPS Families: Next Gen Ryde, is currently offering all PPS Families a 5-day pass to access the club (further details are further below).

The P&C's next events are the Fathers Day Stall on Tuesday 1 September (more information will be shared soon) and Fathers Day Breakfast on Wednesday 2 September. Please RSVP via the link below to let us know if you can make it as all Breakfast/food must be pre-ordered. (Breakfast is free for father-figures, but you must RSVP!)    

RSVP to Fathers Day Breakfast due by 12pm (midday) Friday 28 August 2026: CLICK HERE

This is my last newsletter as P&C President - it's been a pleasure to serve the school community in this role, I'm thankful for the work of all our volunteers and supporters along the way, and I'm grateful for Lauren Greenall who has stepped up to oversee the P&C until the next AGM!  

Able to help with P&C Events?  P&C Events Volunteer Sign-up: CLICK HERE 

If you have any questions, please always feel free to email: info@putneypc.org.au 

Hope everyone has a great rest of the week! 

Jess Clough