The Wrap @Appin

Term 4, Week 2

📅 Dates to Remember

Upcoming Events

The next assembly is Friday, 31 October 2025 in the School hall at 2.15pm. All welcome.

Lacey class will host this assembly.

Hoopla Day is a fun filled day of entertainment, games and activities, planned by Year 6 for the entire school and community to enjoy. The students will be working hard all term to make this fundraiser the best it can be. Parents, siblings and grandparents are welcome to attend. We hope to see everybody there!

📝Mrs Collins - Principal's Desk

Week 1 & 2 of Term 4

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome Back to the Final Term of 2025!

Welcome back to what is already shaping up to be an exciting and memorable final term of the year. I’m not quite sure where 2025 has gone! This term is packed with wonderful opportunities for our students, including a range of excursions and incursions, gala days, our much-loved Grandfriends Day, the visit from the RFS, and of course many special ‘lasts’ as we begin the final chapter of primary school for our incredible Year 6 students.

Celebrating Professional Excellence at Appin PS.

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Mrs Partridge and Mr Earnshaw for generously giving up time during their school holidays to present at the ACEL Conference. I received wonderful feedback from the R/Director at the School Leadership Institute, who shared that their contribution was outstanding and incredibly well received, she shared that the audience loved their insights. Both staff members spoke with such professionalism and passion; it was an absolute pleasure to hear and watch them. As a the Principal of Appin I am so proud of them and the way they represent Appin Public School so beautifully. As a school, we are incredibly proud of them and grateful for the way they continually go above and beyond to support our school and shine on a wider stage. Congratulations to both.

Introducing Our New School Website

We are excited to announce the launch of our brand-new Appin Public School website. A special thank you to Mrs Martin for her support and expertise in helping bring this project to life. Over the coming weeks, we will continue to build and refine the site, including adding key information about how we implement Department of Education policies and procedures here at Appin PS. Please keep an eye out, as this will become a central hub for updates, resources and important information for our families.

Student Safety and Updated Procedures

At Appin PS, student safety remains our highest priority. As part of our strengthened processes this term, our school gates will be checked at 9:05am each morning, and all gates, except the front gate, will be locked shortly after this time. We also kindly ask families to remind students to park their bikes and scooters in the designated area behind the Stage 3 classrooms. As part of our daily safety checks, pathways are inspected, and any bikes or scooters left in incorrect or unsafe locations will be taken to the front office for collection. Thank you for your support in ensuring a safe environment for all students.

Principal Professional Learning

Next week, I will be attending the NSW Primary Principals’ Conference in Sydney. The theme, Together We Walk Forward, brings together an outstanding line up of presenters focused on strengthening leadership and reigniting passion. Cathy Freeman is one of the presenters and I am looking forward to her insights 25 years on from her unforgettable Sydney 2000 Olympic moment. I look forward to returning and sharing the experiences gained to continue driving positive outcomes for Appin PS.

Have a fabulous weekend.

Mrs Collins

Alessandra and Kowhai from Sims Class

Harper from Eva Class

Hunter, Hayden & Ignatius from

Mulga Class

🗂️ From the Executive Desks

🌟Mrs Partridge

Assistant Principal Curriculum & Instruction (Literacy)

This term, I am looking forward to observing teachers’ classroom practice with a specific focus on writing. This focus has been identified through our 2025 NAPLAN data and will help inform our professional learning priorities for next year, ensuring our teaching strategies continue to support improved student outcomes in literacy. Towards the end of last term and continuing this term, we have also been trialling Typing Tournament to improve students’ typing fluency. As Year 5 students are expected to type their written responses as part of NAPLAN writing assessment requirements, developing fluency and confidence with typing has become an important focus here at Appin Public School from Years 2-6. We hope to continue encouraging regular typing practice both at school and at home to support students in meeting this expectation.

Ms Martin and I will also be conducting K-6 student focus groups using the Waterfall Assessment approach, asking questions such as:

- What are you learning?

- How are you going?

- How do you know?

- How can you improve?

- Where do you go to for help?

These discussions will provide valuable insights into how students view their learning and help us identify ways to further strengthen feedback, goal setting and support across the school.

During the school holidays, Mr Earnshaw and I were proud to co-present at the 2025 Australian Council for Educational Leaders National Conference. Our presentation highlighted the mentoring pathways and teacher leadership initiatives established at Appin Public School, which have strengthened professional growth and collaboration across our staff. We shared practical examples and reflective insights from our experiences in these programs, demonstrating how empowering teacher leaders creates a lasting impact on student learning and school improvement.

Next Friday, we celebrate World Teachers’ Day in NSW. We have amazing teachers here at Appin Public School who go above and beyond every day to support, inspire and nurture our students. To celebrate, you have a special opportunity to recognise the incredible work of our teachers by adding your own teaching gem and join in the celebration by visiting: https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/events/world-teachers-day-in-nsw.

How to pin gems on the NSW Teaching Gems Map?

Click on the Message button to give a shout out to a teacher. Add our school's postcode (2560) to make sure your gem is pinned in the right spot! Type in your teacher’s initials and a short personal message. You will not be asked for your name, email address or any personal information. All submissions are anonymous.

🌟Ms Martin

Assistant Principal Curriculum & Instruction (Numeracy)

Learning and Support at Appin Public School
This term, we have streamlined our Learning and Support process to ensure resources are allocated effectively to best support the needs of our students. The Learning and Support Team is made up of our School Counsellor, Lead Learning and Support Facilitators, Learning and Support Coordinator, and the Principal. They work collaboratively to identify and respond to individual learning needs. Parents and teachers can now submit a School Counsellor referral directly to the Learning and Support Team for discussion. This process allows us to tailor appropriate support and actions that ensure every student at Appin Public School is given the best opportunity to succeed.

Observing Mathematics in Action

As part of our whole-school numeracy focus, this term our APC&I team will be visiting classrooms to observe mathematics lessons in action. These observations are a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the great teaching and learning happening across our school and to see how students are engaging with mathematical thinking. The insights gathered will help us reflect on our progress this year and identify our next area of focus for 2026 School Planning. This process ensures we continue to strengthen our teaching practices and provide every student with the tools and confidence to be successful mathematicians.

Targeted Support Groups

Our Targeted Support Groups continue this term to strengthen student learning in both mathematics and literacy. These small-group sessions provide focused opportunities for students to consolidate and extend key skills introduced in the classroom. In our Maths Legends groups, students will explore additive strategies and learn how to combine and break apart numbers efficiently, use friendly numbers, and apply flexible mental strategies when adding and subtracting.

Our Reading Rockstars groups will dive into vocabulary development, unpacking how nuance, tone, and meaning shape understanding in texts. These targeted sessions are designed to boost confidence, bridge gaps, and ensure students can successfully apply their learning back in the classroom.

🐨 Mrs Hawkins

Assistant Principal Stage 3

What's coming up for Stage 3 (Year 5 & 6) this term?

What a busy term we have just begun in Stage 3!

Currently, students are enjoying an exciting camp to Canberra. We have received wonderful feedback about the exceptional respect and behaviour shown by our students throughout the trip. A huge thank you to Mr Earnshaw, Ms Paxton, Miss Duggan, and Mr Bax for generously dedicating their personal time to supervise and support our students on camp.

In English, we are reading The One and Only Ivan, where students are exploring important themes within the text. They are also developing persuasive writing skills, crafting texts that discuss the ethical issues surrounding animals in captivity.

Our current learning in Mathematics lessons focus on fractions, with students learning to convert between fractions, percentages, and decimals. They are also practising how to calculate percentage discounts - skills that will no doubt be useful come Christmas shopping!

As we move towards the end of the year, there is plenty to look forward to. We are planning mufti days, our annual Hoopla Day run by Year 6 students, and the Year 6 excursion to Jamberoo. Year 5 students will be preparing to run for leadership positions in 2026, and preparations are underway for the Year 6 farewell. It’s shaping up to be a busy but enjoyable final term filled with memorable moments!

Stage 3 Camp

🐨Mrs Muntz

Assistant Principal Stage 2

What's coming up for Stage 2 (Year 2, 3 & 4) this term!

🌟 Welcome Back to Term 4, Stage 2 Families! 🌟

We’ve had an exciting start to Term 4, filled with learning, laughter, and fun in our classrooms! It’s wonderful to see our students back and ready to dive into new challenges and adventures.

📚 English

This term, our Stage 2 students are reading “200 Minutes of Danger” — a thrilling collection of ten short stories that are cleverly intertwined. Students are becoming detectives, exploring clues and unpacking evidence to identify dangers and discover each story’s resolution.

Our focus this term is on understanding text purposes, particularly entertaining and persuading audiences. Students are learning about the different text and language features that make writing engaging, and they are already producing some fantastic pieces that showcase their creativity and voice!

➗ Mathematics

In Mathematics, we are exploring a range of important topics including fractions, multiplication and division, data, angles, and decimals. Each lesson begins with a lively Number Talk — a fun and interactive way to get our mathematical minds working and to think creatively when solving problems.

🏛️ Excursion Excitement!

As we near the end of the year, Stage 2 has some wonderful events to look forward to! We will be visiting the Australian Museum to participate in an Aboriginal Perspectives lesson, on Thursday 20th November. Students will learn about the flora and fauna of the Australian landscape and how these were used in traditional practices.

After exploring the fascinating exhibits — from ancient history to modern discoveries — we’ll head to Hyde Park for a picnic lunch where we can enjoy the sunshine, fresh air, and time together as a stage.

We’re looking forward to a fantastic Term 4 full of curiosity, learning, and shared experiences. Thank you for your continued support — it’s going to be a wonderful way to finish the school year!

Learning in Mulga

Learning in Darling

Learning in Eva

Learning in Hall

🐨Mr Sylwestrzak

Assistant Principal Stage 1

What's coming up for Stage 1 (Year 1 & 2) this term?

Welcome back to Term 4! The Smart, Kingston, Magee, and Sims classes are excited to be back and ready for another great term of learning. Students have returned refreshed and eager to take on new challenges, explore exciting topics, and work together to finish the year strong. It’s shaping up to be a busy and rewarding term ahead!
Year 2 students will visit the Wollondilly Heritage Centre as part of their history unit exploring “Past and Present.” Students will step back in time to learn about how people lived, worked, and went to school in the olden days. They will explore historical artefacts, experience a lesson in a traditional classroom, and take part in hands-on activities that will help bring the past to life. It promises to be a fantastic day of learning and fun!
Year 1 students will take part in a history incursion as part of their “Past and Present” unit. They will explore how life has changed over time, discovering differences in homes, schools, and daily life. Through hands-on activities and engaging discussions, students will deepen their understanding of the past and how it connects to the present. It’s sure to be an exciting and educational experience!
Students across Smart, Kingston, Magee and Sims will be using the picture books The Mess We Made, and Jelly Boy as inspiration for their writing this fortnight. Through this engaging text, students will explore a range of writing techniques, including descriptive language, sequencing, and persuasive writing. They will discuss the book’s important environmental message and use it to develop their own ideas and creative responses. It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect reading and writing in a meaningful way.
Stage 1 students will continue developing their number sense through daily Number Talks, where they share and discuss different ways to solve mathematical problems. This term, students will focus on strengthening their additive strategies before moving into multiplicative thinking. They will explore patterns, groups, and arrays to build a strong foundation for future multiplication and division concepts.

Learning in Smart

Learning in Sims

Learning in Kingston

Learning in Magee

🐨Mrs Mathers

Assistant Principal Early Stage 1

What's coming up for Early Stage 1 (Kindergarten) this term?

Welcome back to all our families as we begin the final term of the year! It’s wonderful to see our students returning so settled and focused. They appear noticeably more mature and confident after the break, highlighting their growth and development throughout the year. We are excited to continue supporting them as they finish the year strong.

This term, students will continue to participate in all Key Learning Areas. In Science, they will explore the physical world and engage in STEM lessons that encourage curiosity and problem-solving. Creative Arts will introduce drama activities to help build creativity and confidence. In Physical Education, modified sports will focus on fundamental movement skills to develop coordination and teamwork. Our Health program will support students in making healthy and safe choices to promote their wellbeing.

We are especially looking forward to our upcoming excursion on the 30th of October to the Science Centre in Wollongong. It promises to be a fantastic day filled with hands-on learning, interactive exhibits and fun discoveries that will bring our Science and STEM lessons to life.

This term is filled with exciting events, with the main highlights being the excursion, Grand Friends Day, Hoopla Day and our participation in the community event, Appin Carols. These activities offer wonderful opportunities for students to engage, celebrate and connect with our wider community.

Throughout this term, students will continue to engage in meaningful and exciting learning experiences right up until the end. This is an important time as they build confidence and skills to prepare them for the transition into Year 1.

Here’s to a fantastic Term 4 filled with growth, learning and memorable moments!

Learning in Cromer

Learning in McRae

Learning in Lacey

📢 Student Leaders - Our Last Term!

Jessica B / Prime Minister:

I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday and is ready for Term 4! Currently, the Stage 3 students are on the bus on the way home from Canberra. We had lots of fun but we're pretty tired! We visited Parliament House, the old and the new, The Australian Institute of Sport, Questacon, the National Portrait Gallery and many more wonderful places.

I am very excited to have our last Parliament and cherish memories with my fellow ministers & Speaker. I am so grateful for them and I am sure our next leadership team for Appin Public School will be amazing!

Have an amazing rest of the year. Year 6s - get ready for high school!

Jess: PM

Maddison B / Speaker:

It is so great to see everyone back at school all ready for the last term! We have also have our last Parliament for the year which will take place in a couple of weeks. I hope classes will bring some amazing ideas that will help improve our school for 2026. There have been many great ideas that have been passed this year. A big thank you to the SRC for bringing your class motions to the floor, you did an incredible job for your first time.

I am excited to pass my role on to what's sure to be a wonderful student who will help to proudly lead our school. I can't wait to lead the last Parliament and to work with my fellow leaders Emily, Jaxon, Jess, Mason and Jono. I wish the very best for our leaders in 2026, you will do great!

From Maddie

Jonathan A / Minister for Finance & Fundraising:

In Term 4, we will be having 2 major fundraisers, Diabetes Day and our Year 6 Hoopla Day. Diabetes Awareness Day is on November 14th and the theme is blue. There will be a gold coin donation for charities such as Breakthrough and T1D. The ministers will have stalls selling blue ribbons and blue socks and we have many more fun activities planned. Hoopla Day will raise money for our Year 6 Farewell. The Year 6 students will set up fun games for our younger students to play. All games will require a small fee. For Halloween on October 31st, we will be having a scary mufti day (no masks allowed). Students will bring in a gift plate for our gift plate stall. Plates will be sent home this week and ideas will be in the newsletter.

I am looking forward to Jamberoo and doing more work as a minister this term. I am also looking forward to our Summer Gala Day.

Jonathan A

Mason D / Minister for Sport:

We are looking forward to playing in our last Gala Day for the year on Friday of Week 4. We will be competing in teeball, softball, league tag and basketball. A huge congratulations goes to our 6 students who represented and competed at the State Athletics Championships this week. Well done to Ivey R, Jess B, Maddie B, Billie T, Aela G and Karim O! Mr Earnshaw and Ms Duggan will be organising all the sport awards which will be handed out at Presentation Day at the end of the year.

In my last term at Appin PS, I am looking forward to playing league tag in my last Gala Day, all the exciting Year 6 events and doing more work as the Minister for Sport.

From Mason

Jaxon K / Minister for the Environment:

I am Jaxon and I am the Eco-minister for the last term. We recently had an incursion for the Eco - Committee where we planted some new plants, shrubs and food - like baby cucumbers, tomatoes and many more. There is still plenty of work to do in the gardens around the school and our committee will be hard at work making the gardens look great!

I'm looking forward to this last term for events such as Hoopla Day, Jamberoo and the bell ringing on our last day. Spending my last primary school moments with my friends and my teachers that I have had over the years will be great. I love how much the school has improved with the Ninja Warrior course but there is still more to come!

Jaxon

Emily M / Minister for Communication & Culture:

There have been plenty of refurbishments happening around the school and the school is looking better and better! We have renovated a lot of our gardens and there are still many more exciting plans to come. Watch this space!

Year 6 are getting excited to celebrate our 7 years of school at the Year 6 Farewell on the 8th of December at Appin House. We are also looking forward to our official graduation at the end of the year where we will officially graduate from primary school. Our very last day of school will be the teachers last day too and this will be on December 19th.

In Term 4, I am looking forward to Hoopla Day because all the Year 6 students work really hard to make fun, exciting games and activities for our students. I am really excited to host my activity and I can't wait to tell everyone what it is soon!

I hope you enjoy the rest of the term!

Emily M

📸 Highlights from the Fortnight

Eco-Committee 🌿

The Eco Committee have been getting their hands dirty redoing our vegetable patches in the school garden! In Week 1, we welcomed Damion from Wollondilly Shire Council who taught us all about soil composition and demonstrated the ‘no dig’ technique for planting fruits, herbs, and vegetables.

Our Eco Committee members worked as a team to haul soil, move lucerne hay and plant a variety of produce including tomatoes, lettuce, parsley, basil, oregano and more.

At the end of Term 2, we assessed the current state of our compost bins and discussed ways to educate the rest of the school about effective composting. Students collaborated to create a range of Canva posters for each stage group, showing what can and can’t be composted. These posters will be distributed next week and displayed in every classroom.

I had the opportunity to visit Elderslie High School to explore their sustainable practices and learn more about the incredible work they are doing in the STEM and Science space. From melting down old plastics to recreate them into spinning tops, exploring how they propagate plants in their extensive gardens and even designing a sustainable amusement park as a cross stage project - the ideas were wonderful!

We are now looking forward to welcoming Damion back in a few weeks time to help us finish off our vegetable patches and continue learning about sustainable gardening practices.

Miss Kennedy

Getting our hands dirty!

Stage 3 students putting in the hard work.

Damion teaching us how to create a plant community.

We have been learning about soil composition.

💫High Potential and Gifted Education 💫

🖤❤️💛Aboriginal Education

Cultural Group Wrap Up from Term 3 & what's on this term?

During Term 3, our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students worked incredibly hard to achieve their academic and cultural goals. Towards the end of the term, our older students had the wonderful opportunity to share their learning with our K-2 students, passing on knowledge and experiences gained from our cultural excursion.

As we move through Term 4, our focus is on exploring local Aboriginal language and deepening cultural understanding through a traditional dance workshop. We will also be celebrating student growth and success later this term during our Personalised Learning Pathway (PLP) celebrations.

🐨 Positive Behaviour for Learning

Our first PBL focus for Term 4 is based on our school value of being safe. At the end of Term 3, teaching staff reintroduced the areas that are in bounds for students and discussed the importance of being visible to teachers at all times. It has been pleasing to see that students have taken this focus on board and are enjoying their recess and lunch breaks in a safe and responsible manner.

Before students head off to play at recess and lunch, we gather together as a whole school and gradually release the students to their chosen play spaces. This approach helps ensure everyone is supervised and also gives students who wish to finish eating a comfortable space under the COLA to do so. It’s been a lovely way to start each break calmly and set everyone up for a safe and happy playtime.

Our KOOLAHS serve as our fast and frequent awards for positive behaviour observed in the classroom and playground. We were thrilled at the end of Term 3 to see our KOOLAH tub packed to the brim! As a reward for their consistent efforts, students enjoyed a special movie day on the last day of school as a whole school PBL celebration. 🎉

Miss Kennedy

Our PBL Students of the Week

From the Office

📌 Don't Forget

Selective High School Placement for 2027

Applications will be open each year from November to February (the following year) for both selective high school and opportunity class placement. Parents and carers will apply online using the Selective High School and Opportunity Class Placement application website.

Applications for selective high school and opportunity class, entry in 2027, will be open from 6 November 2025 to 20 February 2026. There will be no late applications due to the longer application period, and the application closing date being closer to the test dates and logistical constrains around organising test centres and devices.

This change to the application period means that parents and carers will now need to apply for Opportunity Class Placement when their child is in Year 3 (or by the end of Week 4, Term 1 when their child is in Year 4). This change applies to students currently in Year 3.

For Selective High School Placement, parents and carers will continue to apply when their child is in Year 5 and can now apply when their child is in Year 6 until the end of Week 4, Term 1. For more information, please click on the following link: Application process

Emergency Drill

In the coming weeks our school will hold a practice emergency evacuation drill which will include loud sirens. Please don’t be alarmed as these emergency drills are mandatory requirements of our school and occur twice each school year.

Student Numbers for 2026

If your child/ren are not returning to Appin School next year, can you please advise the office as soon as possible. If you are aware of any families that have not yet enrolled their children, please ask them to contact the school as soon as possible. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Updating School

It is very important that we have up to date and correct contact details for our students. If you have a new home address, mobile phone number or email address, please contact our school office to update these details as soon as possible.

Unexplained Absences

We are committed to working with you to offer support and remove any barriers that may be preventing your child from regularly attending school.

Please remember that the NSW Education Act requires that all student absences must be explained within 7 days of the first day of them being away from school. Please contact us promptly whenever your child is absent and let us know the reason for them being away.

This allows us to provide the right support and make sure your child's absences are recorded correctly. In the event your child has repeated or ongoing unexplained absences, we will continue to try to contact you about each absence to provide appropriate support for you and your family. A text message will be sent home each day the student has an unexplained absence. Parents have 7 days to reply on the parent portal or contact the school, otherwise unexplained absences become unjustified.

If you have any questions or if you need support with your child’s attendance, please contact the school on 46 311 220.

Just a reminder that there is absolutely no parking or pedestrian access through our staff car park at any time. If dropping off or picking up from OOSH, please use the OOSH gate provided. Thank you.

Lost Property

With our recent crisp cool mornings developing into warm sunny days, many students are taking off their jackets and discarding them wherever they are around our school and either forgetting to collect them or forgetting where they have left them. Please clearly label your child’s clothing or items they bring to school and replace these names when they wear off. Please also ask at the front office for any valuable lost items such as watches, glasses, jewellery etc. At the end of the term, we will donate any unclaimed items to the Uniform Shop or to a charity.

Canteen Online Ordering

Mel's Lunchbox provides lunch orders with Spriggy Schools Online Ordering App. If you have any questions, or suggestions, please contact Mel on Mb: 0456 815160.

2026 Kindergarten Enrolments

Applications are now due for Kindergarten 2026. If your child turns 5 before July 31, 2026 they are eligible to start school next year. We would appreciate if our local area enrolments would submit their applications online as soon as possible. Please let your firends and neighbours know that the process for enrolment for next year is underway. To apply online, just go to the Appin Public School website:

https://appin-p.schools.nsw.gov.au and go to the Enrolment tab. Please find our list of 100 points of Residential ID required for all enrolments to be provided or emailed to our school office. Thank you.

🤝 P&C Power @ Appin

P & C Meeting

The next P & C Meeting is being held on Tuesday,

28th October at 6:30pm

in the School Staffroom.

All welcome!

P & C Uniform Shop

The Uniform Shop is open every Monday, from 8:30am to 9:30am. The Uniform Shop has Eftpos available for payments, as well as cash. Online order form at https://form.jotform/212808469354867 - or scan the QR Code.

Orders will be filled when the shop is open on Monday mornings and left at office for pickup, or given to child if paid by credit card. Full cash payment must accompany orders left at the office, or pay cash on pickup of online order. Prices subject to change, depending upon suppliers.

📬 Contact Us

appin-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/

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