It has been lovely fortnight at Jasper Road Public School with all students commencing a very positive and productive year of learning. Staff are establishing great relationships with students, creating wonderful classroom learning environments and setting high expectations for learning and behaviour.
All parents are invited to attend our Meet the Teacher mornings, to be held next week. During these sessions, teachers will discuss teaching and learning programs and classroom structures. It is a fantastic opportunity to meet your child’s teacher and discuss any goals in an informal environment. If you would like to discuss health concerns or any matter, could I please ask that you arrange an appointment to speak in more depth.
For the next two weeks, I will be on leave. I give my apologies in advance for not being at the Meet the Teachers mornings but look forward to talking to parents at the gates upon my return. Kim Dunscombe will be Relieving Principal in my absence.
Gotcha4Life
I am excited to announce that we have partnered with Gotcha4Life to support Mental Health across our school and community. The Mentally Fit Schools Program is a three-year partnership designed to build mental fitness of the whole school community - students, staff and families. Through workshops, assemblies and classroom activities, students learn practical skills to support their emotional wellbeing, build positive relationships and confidently seek help when needed.
Parents and carers also play an important role. Throughout the program, you’ll be invited to join sessions and access resources that help you support mental fitness at home and strengthen connections within your family. Together, we will be creating a shared language and approach that helps children feel supported in every part of their lives.
The first parent session will be held on Monday 23 February at 5.30pm in the school hall.
Badge Assembly
At the first 3-6 Assembly of each year we recognise those students that have been elected into a leadership role. Next Thursday afternoon from 2.00pm, we will be celebrating our 2026 Arbors, SRC, House Captains and Library Monitors. Parents are invited to attend.
NAPLAN
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 2024 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.
Road Safety
As you would be aware, Council’s Compliance Officers and Police provide school zone enforcement of parking and road rules around our school.
As our school grows in size, congestion around schools increases with parking in close proximity to the school more difficult to find at pickup and drop off times.
We would like your continued assistance to help keep the streets around our school safe for all users including residents and families. Parents and carers are asked to park safely and legally at all times around your school especially during peak school pickup and drop off times. It is highly recommended to utilise the car park in Balcombe Heights Estate if parking and entering the school. This is only a short distance across the road and has ample parking.
It is also important to note the rules for Kiss and Drop. Council Compliance Officers control the area especially those that are queueing illegally, blocking roads and/or double parking.
Double parking, Stopping in No Stopping Zones and Bus Zones, parking over driveways and queuing for longer than 2 minutes in No Parking Zones are all offences with fines and demerit points in School Zones.
Driving offences like speeding, illegal U-turns or mobile phone use are also closely monitored by the Police.
Thank you in advance for obeying the road rules around the school as safety outside the gates is just as important as inside.
Car Park
Please be advised that the car park is strictly for Staff Use only. This includes both before and after school or when accessing Camp Australia. No parents, carers or family members should be accessing this area. Be warned, the car park is locked at different times each day and any cars inside will be locked in for the night.
Rugby League
This week we were lucky enough to have three players from the Parramatta Eels visit our school as part of the Eels Blitz program. Sean Russell, Brian Kelly and Elsie Albert completed a training session with students from our 2025 Rugby League and League Tag teams completing passing, kicking and teamwork skills before finishing off with a game of touch. After a Q&A with the players, students were able to get some autographs and photos. Thanks to the players and the Parramatta Eels for providing this opportunity to our students.
Craig Warner
Principal
Introducing Kids Cafe: A Cosy Reading Time for You and Your Child
We are excited to invite families to the new Kids Cafe, starting Thursday 5 March. Join us every Thursday morning from 8:00am on the artificial grass area opposite the library for a special reading session designed to nurture a love of books and literacy.
At Kids Cafe, books will be supplied for you and your child to explore together. Parents are welcome to listen to their child read or share a story by reading aloud. Adding to the fun, a small group of Baulkham Hills High School students will be there each week to read to younger students, creating a warm and supportive reading environment.
While your child enjoys their story time, you can relax and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea, making Kids Cafe a pleasant and enriching way to start your Thursday.
We look forward to seeing you and your children at Kids Cafe — where great stories and great company come together!
Attendance
We’ve had a fantastic start to the year, with over 87% of our students achieving an attendance rate above 90% in the first two weeks of term. Regular and punctual attendance is vital for student learning and wellbeing. A special mention to the following classes who have had a great start with almost full attendance- KN, SC, SM and 5M.
A reminder to families: the music begins at 8:52am, signalling students to make their way to class, and the bell rings at 8:55am. If students arrive after the 8:55am bell, they must sign in at the office and will require a late note.
Thank you for supporting your child to arrive on time and ready to learn each day.
Learning Across the stages
Kindergarten – Year 5 Buddy Program
Our Kindergarten - Year 5 Buddy Program played an important role in supporting student learning and wellbeing across the school. Through buddy sessions in Week 2 and 3, Kindergarten students benefited from positive role models as they built confidence, communication and language skills and familiarity with school routines.
For Year 5 students, the buddy program provided meaningful opportunities to develop leadership, responsibility and communication skills. By supporting younger learners, Year 5 students strengthened their understanding of concepts such as empathy, collaboration and citizenship, while also reinforcing their own learning through teaching and modelling positive behaviours.
Early Writing Skills
In Kindergarten, students are developing important early literacy skills that support their writing journey. A current focus in class is learning how to hold a pencil correctly and practising accurate tracing in the correct direction. These foundational skills help children build fine motor strength, control and confidence when forming letters and shapes. These early experiences play an important role in supporting handwriting, spelling and overall literacy development as students progress through school.
Stage 1
This term, our Stage 1 students have been enthusiastically exploring a variety of new learning activities!
In English, Year 1 has begun their journey into informative texts. They are excited to learn about different celebrations from around the world and are practicing writing procedural recounts to share their experiences. Meanwhile, Year 2 has dived into an engaging unit all about different types of transport. They are discovering a range of vehicles and modes of travel, expanding their knowledge and vocabulary.
In Mathematics, students have been busy developing their understanding of place value. They are building their skills to use place value concepts for skip counting, which is helping them with number patterns and mental calculations.
Year 2 students have also enjoyed their very first Korean language lesson! They have enthusiastically learned how to say hello and introduce themselves, sparking their interest in a new language and culture.
Stage 2
Students have been exploring the exciting world of narrative writing!
They are learning how to craft imaginative texts by understanding the key structure of a narrative: a clear orientation, the plot or series of events that build tension and a satisfying resolution. Students are also focusing on using important features such as descriptive language, dialogue and engaging characters to bring their stories to life. This learning journey is helping them develop creativity and storytelling skills that make their writing vivid and captivating.
Stage 3
In Stage 3, our Year 5 students are focusing on writing persuasive texts through engaging review activities, while Year 6 are developing their skills in debate. To support our literacy goals, students continue to expand their vocabulary with our daily Word of the Day activities.
In Mathematics, they are building on concepts learned in earlier years, with a strong emphasis on problem-solving strategies to enhance critical thinking.
PSSA - Stage 2 and Stage 3
PSSA trials have recently been completed, and we are excited to announce that PSSA competitions will commence Friday, Week 4. Students at school will also continue to participate in home sport and various clubs, fostering teamwork and school spirit.
We are so proud of the great start all students have made this term and look forward to sharing their work with you across the year.
Kim Dunscombe & Amanda Pena
Deputy Principals
Early Stage 1 - Kindergarten
Stage 1 - Years 1 & 2
Stage 2 - Years 3 & 4
Stage 3 - Years 5 & 6
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 manage student absences.
When submitting an absence for your child(ren), please keep the following in mind:
If your child will be absent for multiple school days, create a planned absence for multiple days.
If your child is away due to illness or medical reasons, please attach a medical certificate or doctor's letter to every relevant absence.
If your child has a partial absence (arriving late or leaving early), please do not submit a full day planned absence.
If your child will be partially absent due to a medical appointment, please bring proof of the appointment (text/email reminder from medical centre, doctor's letter, etc.).
If multiple days are specified on a medical certificate, your child must stay home for all days unless medical clearance has been provided and shown to the school.
Lost Property
We are only 4 weeks into the new school year and there is already an overwhelming amount of lost property in the school. We ask that parents please ensure all items including jumpers, hats, lunch boxes, plastic containers and water bottles are clearly labelled with your child’s name. Please feel free to have a look at our trolley located near the office building opposite the library.
Parent Email & Contact Information
With the beginning of the new 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 is not full.
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.
During Term 4 2025 and the school holiday break, Gia (5/6N) volunteered for Kids Giving Back. While volunteering, Gia was part of a wider group of young changemakers who prepared thousands of meals and care packs for people experiencing hardship. We would like to congratulate Gia for her compassion, empathy and determination to help make a difference to vulnerable communities across Sydney.
Welcome back to the 2026 school year! We hope all families have settled well into the term and are enjoying being back at Jasper Road Public School. A special welcome to the families who are new to our school community this year — we look forward to getting to know you and sharing the Jasper Road journey together.
The P&C is excited to be starting another year of working alongside families and staff to support our school. While we’re still finalising plans for events and activities for the year ahead, we’re looking forward to sharing more details with you soon.
First P&C General Meeting – All Welcome
Our first P&C General Meeting for the year will be held on:
📅 Monday 23 February (Week 5)
⏰ 7.00pm (arrival from 6.45pm)
📍 JRPS Staffroom
All parents and carers are warmly invited to attend. P&C meetings are a great way to learn more about what happens behind the scenes, hear what’s coming up, and share ideas. If you’re new to the school — or new to the P&C — this is a perfect meeting to come along to.
Children are welcome if alternative arrangements can’t be made.
Getting Involved in 2026
The P&C relies on parent and carer involvement, and there are many ways to help — from assisting at events, to helping behind the scenes, or simply coming along to meetings when you can. You don’t need to commit to anything long-term, and every bit of help makes a difference.
As event dates and volunteer opportunities are confirmed, we’ll share details through the newsletter, Facebook and our email list.
Stay Connected
To make sure you don’t miss updates throughout the year, we encourage families to stay connected with the P&C:
📧 Email: info@jasperroadpandc.org
📱 Facebook: Search Jasper Road P&C and tap “Follow”
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.
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.