Principal Address 

It has been a great start to the term with students into routines and completing explicit lessons from expert teachers. Throughout the year, we ensure that school communication is available via various methods. We understand that different methods work for different families hence communication is both online and sent home in hard copy. We work very hard at trying to keep our community informed of the many events that occur at school throughout the school year and love parent attendance where appropriate.

In this issue of the newsletter, we have included the school calendar for the whole year. This is another way that we hope to better communicate school activities and provide families with time to plan upcoming events. All dates have also been added to School Bytes and are available on the parent portal. Please be advised that there may be changes to the calendar as at the time of print, we are awaiting confirmation of some dates. We hope this calendar provides a fantastic resource and finds a place ‘on the fridge’.

SCHOOL BYTES

School Bytes remains as our only communication App for parents. I know most parents find this very easy to use with the ability to see payment history, activities their children have paid for, along with any excursion notes and the school calendar. Parents are also encouraged to send attendance notifications through the app if your child is sick or off school for some other reason. 

NAPLAN

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 2024 for Years 3 and 5 students will be held online between Wednesday 12 March and Friday 21 March. NAPLAN tests assess student knowledge and skills in Writing, Reading, Language Conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy.

The results of the tests provide information for students, parents, teachers and principals which can be used to improve student achievement.

All students are expected to participate in the NAPLAN tests. During test weeks, catch-up tests will be available for individual students who are absent on specific days.

Support can be arranged for students with disabilities, if the student regularly uses similar support for classroom assessment tasks.

Exemptions may be granted to students with significant intellectual disabilities and to students who have been learning English for less than one year.

If your child is eligible for support due to disability or an exemption, you should discuss this with his/her teacher and Assistant Principal this year. Parental consent is required before any support due to disability or exemption is granted.

Students may be withdrawn from NAPLAN by their parent or carer. This is a matter for consideration by parents and carers in consultation with the principal. If, after consultation, you decide to withdraw your child, you must sign a Student Withdrawal form. These forms are available at the school.

Later in 2025, you will receive your child’s personal NAPLAN report. The report will describe your child’s particular skills in Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy. The report will also show how your child performed in relation to national minimum standards. These describe the minimum acceptable standards for students across Australia.

I am confident that the information you receive as a result of your child’s participation in the NAPLAN tests will be valuable in helping you to assess your child’s progress in literacy and numeracy.

For more information about the tests, please visit the NAP website at 

www.nap.edu.au/naplan

MEET THE TEACHER

It was fantastic to welcome so many parents into the school last week for our Meet the Teacher mornings. If you were unable to attend, you should have received a stage letter outlining the teaching and learning programs and classroom structures for the term ahead. Following these mornings, if you would like to discuss health concerns or any matter with your child’s teacher, could I please ask that you arrange an appointment to speak in more depth.

VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS

The provision of quality education relies, not only on the quality of the teaching staff, but also on the quality of the resources, which we use to educate the children. We are fortunate to have an enthusiastic, talented and committed teaching staff and while they are keen to use the best resources available, they are well aware of the current economic climate and the hardships many families are experiencing.

The school has a voluntary contribution charter that was sent out to all families earlier in the year. Please note that these will be the only voluntary fees parents will be asked to pay. I thank the numerous parents that have already paid towards these fees and encourage all our parents to support this contribution. My guarantee is that every last dollar of all money raised will go directly back into your child’s education thus ensuring that our students are provided with the very best learning opportunity and resources. The staff and students of Jasper Rd are always humbled by your generosity and amazing support.

EELS BLITZ

Last week we were visited by the Parramatta Eels for their annual Eels Blitz. 30 students had the opportunity to complete workshop with two players before returning to a classroom to ‘quiz’ them on the year ahead, respect in sport and why they chose to play rugby league. Thanks to the Eels for providing this opportunity to our students.

COMMUNITY USERS
Every year we support community users that hire our facilities to provide extra curriculum activities before and after school. I encourage the community to support these businesses if looking for out of hours activities for their child.

School Stages

From The Office

Each fortnight we will send you instructions or a link to a "How to" guide from School Bytes. This fortnight is all about how to explain an absent .

Lost Property

After 5 weeks there is already lost property in the school. These items include jumpers, hats, lunch boxes, plastic containers and water bottles. We ask all parents and carers to ensure that all items are labelled with your child’s name. Also, please encourage your child to search for their lost items in the lost property bin outside, near the sick bay entrance.

Sports News

PSSA 

Library News

Library News:

We have had a great start to the year in the library, with lots of students remembering to bring their library bags to borrow. Keep up the great effort with your borrowing.

Library Monitors:  

Thank you to all the students who applied for a library monitor leadership position. Congratulations to the following students who have been selected to become our school library monitors for 2025. Badges will be presented next week at the assembly. 

2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge:

 The NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge begins Monday, 24 February and Jasper Road Public School is excited to be participating. This year, we are hoping to beat our record from last year of 286 students. 

 2025 Key dates

Challenge opens: Monday 24 February

Challenge closes to students: Friday 22 August

 What is the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge?

The Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) is a statewide Challenge that encourages students to develop a love of reading for leisure and pleasure and enables them to experience quality literature.

It is not a competition, but a challenge to encourage each student to read, to read more, and to read more widely. Some of our JRPS students have made an informative and wonderful video to encourage students to join the fun challenge. Please watch and enjoy.

All students who complete the challenge and have their reading record validated by the school’s PRC coordinator will receive a certificate signed by the Premier of NSW.

 The joy of reading- Why it matters and how a reading challenge can help:

Reading is one of the most important skills a child can develop, but beyond just learning to read, developing a love for reading is key to lifelong learning and success. For primary school-aged children, enjoying reading boosts their confidence, expands their vocabulary, strengthens comprehension skills, and sparks creativity. Children who love reading are more likely to read independently, which enhances their overall academic performance and fosters a lifelong habit of learning.

By participating in a reading challenge, children discover new genres, authors, and stories that might ignite their passion for books. Most importantly, it helps them associate reading with enjoyment rather than just schoolwork, laying the foundation for a lifelong love of literature.

Encouraging your child to take part in a reading challenge is a great way to nurture their enthusiasm for books and set them on the path to becoming confident, curious, and engaged readers.

How many books do students need to read?

Students in Kindergarten to Year 2 are challenged to read, or experience, 30 books. 

If a book is from an approved PRC series, students can enter up to 5 books as Challenge books, and can read up to 10 other books as Personal Choice books. More information on the rules of the Challenge can be found on the PRC website.

Books must be added to a student’s online reading record by Friday 22 August 2025 in order for their reading record to be validated and receive a certificate.

 How do students log their reading?

Students can access the PRC’s Student Experience site using their Department of Education username and password, or can log into the site via the Student Portal. Instructions can be found below. The student’s username and password are attached to back of this letter.

Online Entry for Premier’s Reading Challenge Instructions:

Students in K-2 need to have or listened to 30 books and students in 3-6 need to read 20 books to complete the 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC). Please follow the instructions below to enter the titles of these books.

1. Search for the DET student portal page

2. Log on using your child’s school username and password

3. Click on the Premier’s Reading Challenge Icon. This will take you to the Student’s Experience Site for the 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge.

If you encounter any problems during the challenge, please come and talk to us at school.

Happy reading!

Mrs Bugeja

Teacher Librarian

Canteen 

Canteen Payments

May we ask if you are paying cash for your child's order or sending spending money, where possible please send coins or smaller value notes. We have limited change available and struggle to change large notes of a morning.

FlexiSchools is a cashless option where canteen orders can be placed each day or even days/weeks in advance. This removes the worry of lost change or forgetting to hand in the order. Ordering can be done for any item on our menu including ice blocks.

If you have placed a recess order, please let your child/ren know to join the "Express Line" at the canteen to collect the order.

Lunch orders are delivered to the classroom, however, if you have ordered any of the following items, please ask your
child/ren to collect them from the "Express Line" at the canteen:

• Noodles

• Ice Blocks

• Jelly

Changes or Enquiries for Canteen Orders

Should you need to change or cancel your child's canteen order, we kindly request that instead of contacting the canteen or school directly, please reach out to our Healthy Canteens Office, where multiple staff members are available to assist you promptly. Contacting the school or canteen can disrupt lunch preparation and experience delays in communication.

Contact Details:

• Office Phone: 02 9836 2270 or 0405 219 242

• Timing: Please make any changes before 10:30 am.

SMS Service: You may also use our SMS service to cancel an order. Simply text us with the following details:

• School Name

• Child's Name & Class

We will process the cancellation and send you a confirmation SMS.

Important Note: We regret we are unable to hold orders. Instead, cancelled orders will result in funds returning to your FlexiSchools account. This policy ensures clarity, especially in cases of delayed student returns or changes in onsite staff.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. By following these guidelines, we aim to enhance efficiency and minimise disruptions for all involved parties. Should you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.

P&C News

Introducing Our New P&C President – Barry Crossey

We’re excited to welcome Barry Crossey as our newly nominated and elected P&C President for 2025! Barry has been a dedicated volunteer at JRPS for many years, often seen behind the BBQ at school events. He’s also actively involved in the local community, coaching soccer at the Hills Knights for the past four years.

Barry’s connection to JRPS runs deep—his daughter graduated last year, and he currently has two sons at the school (Year 3 and Kindy). When he’s not busy with P&C or coaching, he enjoys time with his family, including his two Cavoodles, Lulu and Alfie.

Barry is passionate about building a strong school community and encourages all families to get involved, saying, “If every family donates just ONE hour of their time this year, it would make a huge difference for our school, community, and most importantly, our kids!”

Welcome, Barry—we look forward to a great year ahead!

Celebrating P&C Day – March 5

On Wednesday we took the opportunity to celebrate all things Jasper Road P&C. Our team enjoyed meeting you all and sharing information about the P&C and ways that you may like to become involved.

The Jasper Road P&C is made up of JRPS families who share the common goal of supporting our wonderful school; its infrastructure and students as well as teachers and staff.

We focus on three key pillars:

-          Community

-          Fundraise

-          Volunteer

We encourage all parents and carers to take part in P&C events to meet other families, play an active role in fundraising activities and have lots of fun.

Get Involved – 2025 P&C Events!

We’re excited to share our calendar of key P&C events for the year ahead! From discos to stalls and our movie night, these events help support our school community – but we can’t do it without YOU!

Even if you can’t volunteer on the day, there are plenty of small but important ways to help, like packing products for the stalls or supporting staff appreciation events or the running of the P&C.

Scan the QR code to submit your Expression of Interest and let us know how you’d like to be involved. Every little bit makes a big difference!

Next Meetings

The next P&C general meeting is in Week 8 - Monday 17 March at 7pm in the staffroom and we welcome all parents. If you cannot make alternative arrangements for your children, they are welcome.

Stay Connected with the P&C!

Want to stay up to date with the latest P&C news, events, and volunteer opportunities? Join our email list today!

Email: info@jasperroadpandc.org

Facebook: Jasper Road P&C

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Scan the QR code to connect with us and be part of the JRPS community!

Camp Australia

Community News