OakMail - Term 2, Week 9

School News

From the Principal's Desk

Nagangbi Oakdale Community,

How is it already Week 9? It feels like only yesterday we welcomed students back for the start of another exciting term. As we head into the final ten days, there is still much to celebrate and even more to look forward to.

This week marks an exciting milestone for Oakdale Public School as we launch the first edition of our student-led newsletter. From now on, our Week 9 newsletter will be written by students, for students and our wider community, giving a real insight into learning, student leadership and life at Oakdale.

Why Student Voice Matters

At Oakdale, student voice is about more than having a say. It is about students actively shaping their learning and school experience.

When students are encouraged to share ideas, take on responsibility and reflect on their learning, they grow in confidence and develop a strong sense of belonging. It also helps create a school where students and staff work together to make learning meaningful and engaging.

Simply put, when students have a voice, they take greater ownership of their learning and school life.

Student Voice in Action

One of our key priorities this year has been strengthening student voice and giving students more ownership of their learning and school experience.

In this newsletter, you will hear directly from SRC representatives in each class, as well as our student leaders, sports leaders, library leaders, environmental leaders and Junior AECG leaders.

Earlier this term, our student leadership team decided they wanted to do more to represent student ideas across the school. As a result, they have each taken on leadership portfolios linked to our Domains of Potential, giving them real opportunities to lead projects, share ideas and improve school life for their peers.

Our student portfolio leaders are:

● Ella (Intellectual Domain)

● Emilija (Creative Domain)

● Heath and Maddy (Social–Emotional Domain)

● Nathanial, Edward, Lachy and Maddy H (Physical Domain)

Together, they are helping to make sure student voice is heard and acted on across the school.

This commitment to authentic student voice was further strengthened this week when our student leaders met with the Mayor and Councillors from Wollondilly Shire Council. The visit provided a genuine opportunity for students to engage in civic leadership, ask thoughtful questions and share their perspectives on issues that matter to them. It was a powerful reminder that young people have both the capacity and the responsibility to contribute meaningfully to their community.

It is fitting that this first student-led newsletter follows so closely after that experience. Here, students now have another platform to share their learning, achievements and goals with the wider community.

Reports and Parent–Teacher Interviews

Student voice continues to be reflected in this semester’s reports, with students contributing reflections on what they are proud of, their achievements, and the goals they are setting for their learning.

Parent–teacher interviews will take place in Week 11 and provide an important opportunity to discuss your child’s academic progress, wellbeing, growth and future learning goals. Our staff have invested significant time in developing reports through careful assessment, moderation and professional dialogue to ensure they provide a clear and accurate picture of each student’s progress and next steps for learning.

Bookings remain open and further information will be shared on Monday 22nd June via SchoolBytes.

To support families in preparing for these conversations, we have also included some helpful tips in this newsletter. These discussions are a valuable opportunity to work in partnership to ensure every child is supported to thrive and reach their potential.

Enough from me now!

It is now my pleasure to hand this newsletter over to the people it is truly about—our students.

I hope you enjoy reading about their learning, leadership, achievements and aspirations through their eyes.

Welcome to our very first student-led newsletter.

#LoveWhereYouLearn

Warm regards,

Nathan Vanderwey

Relieving Principal

Supporting Positive Attendance

As we continue to move through the winter months, we often see a natural dip in attendance due to illness and seasonal factors. While this is understandable, regular attendance continues to have a strong impact on student learning.

We encourage families to use the Parent Portal on School Bytes to keep track of their child's attendance. Every day and minute counts. Rolls are marked within the first 5 minutes of each school day to ensure accurate records.

As a general guide during winter, if children are well enough to attend school and are not showing active symptoms of illness such as persistent coughing, fever, or being contagious (including vomiting or other gastrointestinal symptoms) we encourage them to be at school so they can continue learning and stay connected with their peers.

As we enter the final two weeks of Term 2, I want to congratulate all families as we have improved again in our attendance since week 6. Congratulations. Please see our current data.

Kindergarten, Year 6, Year 4 and Year 1 are all showing strong results. Well done to Year 6 for improvement, and to Year 1 and Year 4 for continuing to maintain attendance above 90%. Kindergarten and Year 1 are particularly strong, sitting closer to 95%, which is outstanding.

Year 3 has also maintained attendance above 90%, and Year 2 has shown a positive shift in attendance. Congratulations to all students and their families!

Thank you for your ongoing support in maintaining strong attendance across all year groups.

Kindergarten - 94.8%

Year 1 - 94.2%

Year 2 - 88.3%

Year 3 - 90.2%

Year 4 - 91.6%

Year 5 - 87%

Year 6 - 92%

NSW Public School Parent Survey

Dear parents and caregivers,

In Term 2, we are inviting parents and carers to participate in the NSW Public Schools Parent Survey. The survey gives you the opportunity to share your experience at our school, including communication, inclusion, wellbeing and how your child’s learning is supported.

Hearing directly from our parents and carers will help us understand what’s working well and where improvements can be made. Your responses are anonymous, and it takes around 10 to 15 minutes to complete. You can access the survey with this link.

Further information about the NPSS Parent Survey is available at https://education.nsw.gov.au/npss.

Academic Domain: Challenge, Learn, Achieve

My name is Ella, and I am your Academic Leader as well as a Junior AECG Leader. This year, our student leaders have each been given an area of responsibility to help lead and improve across the school. As Academic Leader, I focus on learning and achievement, and as a Junior AECG Leader, I work with my co-leaders to support and promote our cultural learning plans.

One of the highlights I have seen this term was our Spelling Bee. Students first competed in their classrooms before our finalists took to the stage in the School Hall. It was great to see students challenging themselves, showing courage and celebrating their learning.

Student Voice is also an important part of learning at Oakdale. It gives students the opportunity to reflect on their achievements, identify their next learning goals and share what they are most proud of in their reports.

Across the school, there has been lots of exciting learning taking place. In Years 3–6, students have been investigating the El Niño–Southern Oscillation and its impact on the environment, writing informative texts and using the CUBES

strategy to solve mathematical problems. In Years 1 and 2, students have been learning about suffixes, active listening and multiplication through arrays. Our Kindergarten students have been building strong foundations as they learn to write letters and numbers and grow in confidence as learners.

As Academic Leader, I am proud of the effort, growth and determination I see from students across our school every day. I look forward to sharing more of our learning successes throughout the year.

Creative Domain: Creating, Imagining and Expressing

My name is Emilija, and this year I have the privilege of serving as our Creative Arts Leader and a Junior AECG Leader. As Creative Arts Leader, I help encourage opportunities for students to explore their imagination, creativity and originality across our school. As a Junior AECG Leader, I also work with my fellow leaders to support and celebrate Aboriginal perspectives, culture and learning within our school community.

One of the highlights this term was our Art Gallery fundraiser. Every student contributed a piece of artwork, showcasing their unique ideas, talents and perspectives. The hall was filled with bright colours, creativity and a variety of artistic styles, making it a wonderful celebration of student expression and imagination.

We have also been fortunate to continue our partnership with Hume Conservatorium. Students learning guitar and drums have been developing their skills, exploring their interests and building confidence through music and performance.

Next term, we are excited to participate in the Wollondilly Performing Arts Festival. This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to share their talents, represent our school and perform alongside students from across the shire.

As both a Creative Arts Leader and Junior AECG Leader, I am proud of the way our students embrace creativity, celebrate culture and support one another. I look forward to seeing our school continue to grow as a place where every student can express themselves, share their ideas and shine.

Hume Conservatorium of Music

The Hume Conservatorium of Music has now started working with Oakdale Public School to provide high quality music tuition to our students. We currently offer tuition in guitar and drums. If you are interested in participating, please see the flyer for further information and details on how to enrol. We currently have availability during the week. If you are interested in other instruments such as piano or singing, please include this in the notes section and, if there is sufficient demand, we will look to offer these options.

Zoe - "It's fun beacuse we get to learn how to play music."

Billy - "I love learning to play guitar, soon I'll learn to play a song. It's nice learning to do something new in a different way."

Natalie - "Music is fun, I'm playing the ukalalee. I do enjoy being able to do a different subject at school."

Social and Emotional Domain: Belonging, Respect, Connection

Our names are Heath and Maddie, and we are your Social and Emotional Leaders for 2026. In our role, we help build positive relationships across the school and encourage an environment where all students feel safe, respected and included.

One of the highlights this term has been the introduction of Peer Support, led by Mrs Fuller and Mrs Tincknell. Through this program, students from different year groups come together to build connections, develop leadership skills and strengthen our school community. As Social and Emotional Leaders, we have enjoyed supporting activities that help every student feel included, valued and connected with others across the school.

We also had the opportunity to welcome our Mayor and Councillors to our school. We were able to share our leadership roles with them and ask questions about decision making, leadership and student voice. It was a great experience to learn more about how leaders in our community work and make decisions that impact others.

Congratulations to everyone who has received a PBL or Principal Award this term. These awards recognise students who consistently demonstrate our school values of being safe, respectful learners. We encourage everyone to keep making positive choices both inside and outside the classroom.

An important focus of social and emotional wellbeing is how we communicate with others. Using respectful and kind language helps build strong relationships and creates a school where students, staff and visitors feel welcome, safe and included.

We are also grateful for our partnership with Warragamba Silverdale Neighbourhood Centre, which provides a Social Club for students during lunchtimes. Through a variety of engaging activities, students have opportunities to learn new skills, work together and connect with others. Whether they are crocheting, building marshmallow towers or trying something new, Social Club is a great way to build teamwork, confidence and a sense of belonging.

Thank you for reading our social emotional update. We also thank Mr Vanderwey for giving us the opportunity to share our own writing in the newsletter. We look forward to continuing to strengthen connections, inclusion and wellbeing across our school throughout the year.

Physical Domain: Keeping Active and Healthy

Sports Leaders – Maddy, Nathaniel, Edward, Lachy

We are the Sports Leaders for our school. Our role is to support the physical domain of school life, including sport, active play, and helping to encourage students to stay healthy and involved in physical activity.

This term, the Sport Leaders and Mr Vanderwey have been talking about sports equipment and have come together to discuss our budget and what equipment we need to buy for the school. In discussions with Mr Vanderwey, we were given a $1000 budget to purchase new equipment, received from Burra Bakery Mothers Day fundraiser and a sports-in-schools grant. We decided to spend this on new equipment for use under the COLA to support passive play at lunch and recess.

Earlier this term, we had the Dental Van visit, which had a positive impact on our understanding of dental health. We received feedback encouraging us to drink more water and we want students to continue choosing water at break times. Our Oztag and Soccer Gala Days in Picton and Thirlmere were also a great success, with all students who attended representing our school well and showing great sportsmanship throughout the day.

In Term 3, we are excited for our Athletics Carnival featuring races, high jump, long jump, discus and shot put. We wish everyone the best and hope that all students have the opportunity to take part and show their potential. Early in Term 3, we will also be practising and preparing chants for our houses, Thunderbolts and Meteorites.

Junior AECG: Connecting to Culture, Community and Country

Nagangbi!

Our names are Mahli, Lilly, Ella and Emilija, and we are your Junior AECG Leaders. Our role is to support and promote cultural learning across our school and help strengthen understanding and respect for Aboriginal culture.

This term, we have taken part in many meaningful cultural activities and have learnt a lot about Aboriginal histories, culture and language. One of the highlights was our Yarn Up with Aboriginal families in our new yarning circle, where we came together to share stories, listen and connect.

We have also learnt about important events such as National Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week, deepening our understanding of why these are significant in our community. Looking ahead, our Aboriginal students will be performing a dance for NAIDOC Week, which is something we are very excited about.

Across the school, we have been sharing Dharawal words with our classes, including Nanganbi (hello) and Nandawabi (goodbye). We have also been creating dot paintings and learning more about our mobs and cultural identities.

In Term 3, we look forward to continuing to work with Mrs Manning and further strengthening our cultural learning across the school.

Library Monitors: Fostering a Love of Reading

Hello! We are the 2026 Library Monitors: Ariana, Ashton, Rachel and Jessie. Our job is to help keep the library a safe, welcoming and organised place for everyone. We help return and scan books, keep the library neat and tidy, support students and work with Mrs Auzner to make sure everyone can enjoy spending time in the library.

This term we have been helping with Book Club, the colouring competition and National Simultaneous Storytime. One of our highlights was sharing Luna Roo as part of National Simultaneous Storytime and seeing students come together to enjoy a story at the same time as children all around Australia. We think books help students learn new things, use their imagination and connect with others through stories and shared experiences. We also love seeing students visit the library to read, play games and spend time with their friends.

Next term, we are really looking forward to the Book Fair and Book Week. We can't wait to see everyone's costumes, celebrate our favourite books and authors, and continue fostering a love of reading across our school.

Enviromental Leaders: Caring For Our Environment

Hello from the 2026 Oakdale Public School Environmental Leaders! Our names are Finn, Zac, Isaac, Charlie, Mahlie and Lilly, and we are excited to share some of the amazing things we have been working on this term with Mrs Smith.

As Environmental Leaders, our role is to help care for our school environment and encourage others to do the same. Throughout Term 2, we have worked with Mrs Smith to look after our gardens, care for plants around the school, and learn more about sustainability. We have also helped keep our school grounds looking beautiful and discussed ways we can make a positive impact on the environment both at school and in our community.

During term two we endeavoured in planting an apple tree that was kindly donated by the Camden Lionesses Club. Throughout the planting, we learnt new skills and facts about planting and apple trees. Us environmental leaders felt a new sense of empowerment as our new jobs became a reality.

In Term 3, we are looking forward to continuing our environmental projects and exploring new ways to make our school even more sustainable.

Zac, "l hope to plant a new tree”
Isaac, “I hope that the council donates a new bin to the bus stop around the school gates”
Charlie, “I hope to plant some new veggies in term three”
Finn, “I hope that our school receives better environmental care”

As the 2026 Environmental leaders, we hope that term three will bring new opportunities to plant, learn and showcase our school.

Student Voice Across Our School - SRC Members

Our SRC representatives have been busy gathering the thoughts and ideas of students from every class. We asked students what they have loved learning this term, what makes their classroom a great place to learn, and what has made them smile along the way.

Read on to discover what students have been learning, achieving and enjoying across our school this term!

Kindergarten (KN)

Noah and Isabella asked Kindergarten students what they have loved most about learning this term, and the answers were full of excitement.

Oliver shared that he loves "reading our books in reading groups," while Noah enjoys "writing sentences and drawing pictures." Lola said her favourite thing has been "sounding out words to learn how to read." Students also spoke about singing songs, learning new sounds in phonics and listening to stories together.

When asked what makes Kindergarten such a great place to learn, Hamza was quick to answer, "I love all of the art!" Khole's favourite part is Buddy, our travelling teddy, who gets to visit a different student's home each weekend. Students also love playing together, learning about numbers and exploring all the different activities in the classroom.

There were plenty of smiles when students talked about their favourite moments this term. For Kindergarten, learning, playing and spending time with friends has made school a fun place to be every day.

1/2SH

Ezra and Mevlude asked students what they have enjoyed most this term, and many students couldn't pick just one thing!

Science was a clear favourite, especially learning about how light can travel through water. Students said they enjoyed being able to investigate and learn through hands-on activities. Geography was another highlight, with students enjoying learning about different rural and urban places and discovering how communities can be similar and different.

When asked what makes their classroom a great place to learn, students immediately pointed to the things that help them every day. "Our sound wall helps us," shared Beau, while others highlighted the vocabulary wall and classroom displays. Cxian said the displays make learning interesting, and Harley loves having "lots of different things to play and learn with," including blocks and hands-on Maths resources.

When it came to smiles, students had lots to celebrate. Finley enjoys Library Club every Wednesday, Isla loves spending time on the fixed equipment at break times, and many students said Social Club on Tuesdays is something they look forward to each week.

1/2MA

Evie and Zara asked students what they have loved learning this term, and there was plenty of enthusiasm across the classroom.

Some students loved writing about ogres and creating imaginative stories. Others said Sport was their favourite because it is fun and helps keep them active. Reading was another popular choice, especially being able to choose their own books, while many students enjoyed learning about counting and numbers in Maths.

When asked what makes 1/2MA a great place to learn, students spoke about the classroom itself. They love creating artwork that brightens the room and the visual displays that help them learn. One thing everyone agreed on was that teachers are always there to help when they need it.

The biggest smiles this term have come from friendships. Students shared that their friends make them feel happy, tell funny jokes and make them laugh every day. Mrs Auzner also received a special mention, with students agreeing that her jokes are always good for a smile.

3/4M

Louis and Jasmine asked 3/4M what they have enjoyed most this term, and once again there was no shortage of responses.

Students shared a love of learning about food chains, explaining that it was interesting to see where different animals fit and how everything in nature is connected. When asked about their classroom, students described it as a calm and supportive space where “we have what everyone needs” and where learning feels enjoyable and shared.

The strongest theme from 3/4M, however, was the importance of friendship. Students said they enjoy “having fun with our friends and laughing,” and that these moments together are what make school special.

Across the term, students also highlighted the joy of shared experiences, including reading, laughter-filled learning moments, and activities like gala days, which bring the class together both in and out of the classroom.

4/5C

Mahli and Natalie asked 4/5C what they have enjoyed most this term, and there was no shortage of answers!

For some students, Maths has been a highlight. "I like division because I can divide bigger numbers now," one student proudly shared. Others have loved Music because "music makes us happy." Students also enjoyed using Google Maps in Measurement lessons and learning about the "olden days" in History.

When asked what makes 4/5C a great place to learn, students didn't talk about programs or lessons—they talked about each other. They said their classroom is a great place because "we all work together" and help one another. Students also enjoy creating artwork that makes the classroom feel welcoming and reflects who they are as a class.

The biggest smiles this term have come from Athletics, gala days and sport. Students loved scoring tries and goals, cheering on their friends and spending time together

outside. Social Club on Tuesdays was another favourite, with many students saying that simply being with their friends and having fun has been one of the best parts of the term.

5/6T

Finn and Ariana asked 5/6T what they have enjoyed most this term, and students shared a strong sense of pride in their learning.

A highlight was the Spelling Bee and classroom spelling activities, which helped build confidence and improve skills. Students also enjoyed using a range of mathematics strategies to solve problems and explain their thinking.

In writing, informative texts were a favourite, especially when students could learn new facts and present ideas clearly. They also valued clear instructions, worked examples, and the use of both workbooks and laptops to support their learning.

Students described 5/6T as a positive and supportive learning environment where peers and teachers work well together. Many also mentioned enjoying the humour in the classroom, including jokes shared between students and teachers, which helps make learning enjoyable.

Overall, students said they feel challenged, supported and engaged in their learning.

Student Highlights

Charlie SSW Regional Cross Country

We are delighted to share the exciting news that Charlie has achieved an outstanding 5th place in the Sydney South West Regional Cross Country Championship! Her dedication and talent have truly made O.P.S proud.

Charlie will now go on to represent our region at the state level—a fantastic accomplishment. We wish her all the best as she tackles the next stage of competition. Well done, Charlie! O.P.S will be cheering you on every step of the way.

K-6 Assembly

Well done to all students who received awards at this week’s K-6 assembly! It is always wonderful to celebrate the achievements of our students.

A special congratulations to all students who received the Principal’s Award—your hard work and commitment are truly commendable. It has been so wonderful to see all our Principal Award recipients around the school, wearing their new badges with pride and excellence.

Keep up the fantastic work, everyone!

School Bytes App

We will continue to share important updates and information with parents and carers through the School Bytes platform. To stay informed about all the latest news at our school, please download the School Bytes app. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the school office. Stay connected with us!

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