Principal's 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’. 

Annual Swimming Carnival

On Wednesday 19 February, 154 of our students gathered at the Macquarie University pools for our annual Swimming Carnival - a day filled with excitement, friendly competition and swimming talent. 

Throughout the day, students competed across a variety of swimming events, including freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. The carnival provided an excellent opportunity for swimmers of all skill levels to showcase their abilities, contribute to their house teams, and foster a great spirit of sportsmanship. Parents, teachers, and peers cheered enthusiastically, creating an encouraging atmosphere that made the day special.

We are thrilled to announce that 27 outstanding swimmers will be representing our school at the upcoming Zone Swimming Carnival. This competition will be held on Monday 9 March, at WAVES Aquatic Centre, where our athletes will compete against other schools from our district. We wish all our competitors the very best of luck and encourage them to strive for their personal bests.

A big thank you to everyone involved in making the Swimming Carnival a memorable day - from the enthusiastic participants and supportive teachers to the parents and volunteers who helped throughout the event. Your contributions are invaluable, and we look forward to celebrating more sporting achievements in the future.

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. 

Gotcha4Life

Last week we welcomed Gotcha4Life to present our first Parent Workshop of the year. It was great that so many parents were able to join the session and not only hear about the program but also ways that they can support their child’s mental fitness. 

If you were unable to attend the workshop, there is a webinar scheduled for 10 May. We encourage all parents to take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about building mental fitness and supporting our children’s mental health journey.

A message from Gotcha4life:

"Our first parent webinar of 2026, How to Raise Mentally Fit Kids (When You’re Not a Perfect Parent), is with Founder Gus Worland and CEO Belinda Elworthy. Join us for an honest, practical conversation about supporting your child’s mental fitness at home. You’ll hear real reflections on parenting, connection, and everyday moments that make a difference. No pressure, no perfection - just simple ideas you can take away and try"

Each term we will be running a parent workshop on different topics. Keep an eye out for future sessions which will include Technology, Writing and Maths.

NAPLAN

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 2026 for Years 3 and 5 students will be held online between Wednesday 11 March and Friday 20 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 2026, 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.

Craig Warner

Principal

From the Deputies

Kids Cafe

On Thursday, we celebrated the successful launch of Kids Cafe, an exciting new initiative designed to foster a love of reading among our students. The event was wonderfully well attended by our families, creating a warm and supportive atmosphere that highlighted the importance of community involvement in education.

A special highlight of the day was the participation of students from Baulkham Hills High School, who generously volunteered their time to read to our younger students. Their enthusiasm and storytelling brought books to life, inspiring our students and making reading a fun and engaging experience.

The launch of Kids Cafe marks a significant step in promoting literacy and community spirit within our school. We are grateful to all families who joined us and to the Baulkham Hills High School students for their invaluable contribution. If you did not make it to our first session, we hope that over the year you are able to join us when time permits. We look forward to many more inspiring reading sessions that nurture a lifelong passion for books.

Kindergarten 

Our Kindergarten students are developing their mathematical understanding and fluency by exploring and connecting key concepts in fun and engaging ways. They are learning to choose and apply simple mathematical techniques to solve problems, while also practicing how to clearly communicate their thinking and reasoning.

In their learning of whole numbers, children are beginning to understand how numbers represent quantity. They confidently recognise dot patterns on dice and dominoes, discover different finger patterns representing the same number, and read and represent whole numbers up to at least 20.

In learning about length, students identify length as the measure of an object from end to end. They use comparative language such as “longer” and “shorter” to describe length and develop hands-on skills by directly comparing the lengths of objects by placing them side by side and aligning their ends.

This foundational exploration supports our young learners' growing number sense and measurement skills, setting them up for future success in mathematics.

Stage 1

Stage 1 has been exploring all things time! They have been learning about the months of the year, and practising rhymes and tricks to remember the number of days in each month. Year 1 have even made beautiful birthday displays to hang in their classrooms! We are looking forward to diving into new challenges as we begin to learn different strategies for combining and separating numbers. 

Stage 2

Students have been actively engaging in learning about additive relations, discovering effective strategies to enhance their addition and subtraction skills. Through the use of everyday activities and collaborative problem-solving, students are developing a deeper understanding of how numbers relate to one another, using techniques such as modelling, partitioning and fact families. 

This approach is helping them build confidence and flexibility in working with numbers, laying a solid foundation for future mathematical success.

Stage 3

In Stage 3, students have been building their understanding of whole numbers. They have been reading, writing, ordering and comparing large numbers, and practising how to round them correctly.

Students have also been learning about positive and negative numbers. They have explored how to place them on number lines and looked at real-life examples such as temperature and elevation.

Stage 3 has also been working on coordinates and the Cartesian plane. Students have been learning how to plot and read points using ordered pairs and use grid references to solve problems involving position and movement on maps.

These activities are helping students strengthen their number skills, build confidence, and develop their problem-solving abilities.

Attendance

Currently we have 75% of our students meeting or exceeding our school attendance target. This achievement reflects the dedication of our students, families, and staff toward supporting consistent attendance and a positive learning environment.

Why Attendance Matters

Regular attendance is a cornerstone of academic success and wellbeing. When students attend school consistently, they benefit from:

• Quality Learning Opportunities: Students build on their knowledge and skills every day. Missing school can result in gaps in learning that may be difficult to bridge.

• Social Connections: School is where students develop friendships, collaborate with peers, and learn important social skills. Consistent attendance helps strengthen these relationships.

Reaching this attendance milestone is only possible because of the collective effort of everyone in our school community. We thank our students for showing commitment to their learning, parents and carers for supporting regular attendance, and staff for creating engaging and welcoming environments.

Now that all students are back at school, we hope to see attendance rates continue to improve over the coming weeks. We encourage families to keep promoting the importance of attending every day, and we remind parents to reach out if they need support.

Keep tuned over the year as our attendance rates are updated. We are confident that our attendance target will be met and exceeded by even more students.

Kim Dunscombe & Amanda Pena

Deputy Principals

School Stages

Early Stage 1 - Kindergarten

Stage 1 - Years 1 & 2

Stage 2 - Years 3 & 4

Stage 3 - Years 5 & 6

Parent Emails & Contacts

Throughout the school year, important information is sent out to all parents. To ensure that parents receive this information, it is imperative that parent email addresses, phone numbers and other contact details are correct in our system.

If you have recently changed any of your contact information (phone number, email, address, emergency contacts, etc.), you are asked to update your contact details via the School Bytes Parent Portal or to email the school. We also ask for parents to ensure your email inbox has space.

Thank you in advance for your preparation as we take the step in providing our families immediate access to digital information.

Non Parental/Carer School Pick Up

We understand that occasionally parents/carers are busy and are unable to collect their children from school and will send a family member or friend to pick them up from school. 

If you are unable to collect your child, we ask that you email the school to confirm your permission for this person to collect your child. If this person will be collecting your child on a regular basis, please clarify and give permission via email.

SRE/SEE

Chaplain Conversation

On Tuesdays, I continue to enjoy providing games for students, using skipping ropes, hula hoops, quoits, catching cups, walking cups, parachutes, and even fun water games with sponges—always a highlight of the week!

In addition, I am running social skills sessions as part of our chaplaincy program. These small group sessions provide an opportunity for students to learn important skills like introducing themselves, making friends, practicing kindness and cooperation, and understanding feelings in others. We explore these through games and activities that make learning fun and meaningful. A big part of my role is simply sitting with students, listening, and being present to support them.

As we move into Autumn, the changing season brings cooler nights and darker mornings, along with the beautiful reminder of nature’s rhythm - trees shedding their leaves and an extra hour of sleep for all of us. I hope this season offers a chance for your family to find a slower, peaceful pace amid the changes.

Thank you for being part of our school community. I look forward to sharing more moments with you as the year unfolds!

Warm regards,

Deb Woon 

Sports News

Zone PSSA

On Thursday 19 February, a group of students trialled for the Zone CHPSSA teams. All students did their very best on the day and JRPS is very proud of their efforts. We would like to congratulate the following students on being selected for the Zone teams:

Zone Boys Basketball:

• Lebron (5/6N)

• Dylan (5/6B) - Reserve

Zone AFL Team:

• Flynn (6D)

• Toby (5C)

Sydney West Rugby League Trial

Congratulations to Avalon (6W) for being selected to participate in the Girls Sydney West Rugby League Trial. She competed against students from other schools on Wednesday 4 March and did very well. JRPS is proud of her achievement.

Year 6 to Year 7 High School Transition

Choosing a high school is an important decision and one that we would like to support.

Every child is entitled to be enrolled at the Government school that is designated for the intake area within which the child's home is situated, and that the child is eligible to attend.

To enrol your child in Year 7 for 2027, you will need to complete an Expression of Interest for Year 6 to Year 7 transition. The Expression of Interest (EOI) lets you indicate which school(s) you would like your child to attend in Year 7.

The EOI process is online and will be available from the 2 March 2026. Please find the link to the EOI on our website, located within the ‘Enrolment’ tab. After you submit an EOI and it has been assessed, your child will be offered a place at a high school.

If your child will not be attending a NSW Government high school next year, please let us know by completing the ‘Placement Not Required’ section of the online EOI application.

If you are unsure whether your child will be attending a NSW Government school (you’ve applied for a private school, or you are moving interstate), we ask that you still complete an EOI and follow up with your school once a decision has been made.

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

The EOI closes on 27 March 2026. Please make sure you complete and submit your child’s EOI before the due date. Late submission may result in your child not being offered a position in their preferred high school.

For parents/carers who are not able to complete an application online, please contact the school office. 

Community Bus Notice

Please note the following changes to school services for Jasper Road PS commencing Monday 16 March 2026:

Route 2531 has been removed from the advice as no students are catching it. The path has changed and will no longer go past the school. Route 630 offers a later advice from Seven Hills Rd should students require it in the future.

Please find below the updated school bus advice.

We remind students they must have a valid Opal card to travel on all public transport, and must tap on and off morning and afternoon.

P&C News

JRPS P&C – Week 6 Update

We are now halfway through Term 1 and there is plenty happening behind the scenes as we prepare for another exciting year of community events at JRPS.

Thank you to everyone who attended our first P&C meeting — it was wonderful to see both familiar and new faces as we begin planning for 2026.

2026 P&C Volunteer Event Calendar

We are excited to share our 2026 P&C Volunteer Event Calendar. These events help build connection across our school community, create lasting memories for students, and raise important funds that directly support JRPS initiatives throughout the year.

Please note that all events are dependent on volunteer support and event coordinators. While we are hopeful to run every event listed, some activities may need to be adjusted or postponed if we do not have enough behind-the-scenes help.

Many of our events require significant planning in advance, not just helpers on the day. Without volunteers to coordinate and support them, we simply cannot run these events. If you would like to help coordinate or support an event, we would love to hear from you.

Together, we can make 2026 another fantastic year for JRPS.

TERM 2

Wednesday 6 May – Mother’s Day Stall (Packing Day TBA)

Wednesday 1 July – Term 2 Disco

TERM 3

Friday 14 August – Athletics Carnival Canteen

Wednesday 2 September – Father’s Day Stall (Packing Day TBA)

TERM 4

Thursday 29 October – Halloween Disco

Date TBA (Friday in November) – Movie Night

Next P&C General Meeting

Our next P&C General Meeting will be held on:

📅 Monday 16 March

⏰ 7.00pm (arrival from 6.45pm)

📍 JRPS Staffroom

All parents and carers are warmly invited to attend. P&C meetings are a great opportunity to hear what’s coming up, ask questions, share ideas and understand how decisions are made to support our school and students.

If you are new to the school — or have never attended a P&C meeting before — this is a perfect time to come along.

Children are welcome if alternative arrangements can’t be made.

Stay Connected

📧 Email: info@jasperroadpandc.org

📱 Facebook: Search Jasper Road P&C and tap “Follow”

📬 Join our Email Subscription List (Already subscribed? Please check your junk folder so you don’t miss updates)

Canteen

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.

Flexi Schools 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.

Camp Australia

Community News