The Grapevine

The Newsletter of Glendore Public School

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this land.

We pay our respect to Elders past, present and future.

We recognise the strength, resilience and capacity of the Awabakal People.

We celebrate with and respect members of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nations.

Where Everyone Can Succeed

Staying Safe During Wet Weather

As we continue to experience very wet conditions, we remind all families to prioritise safety when travelling to and from school.

If your child walks or rides to school, please encourage them to go directly home in the afternoons and avoid unnecessary detours. Wet weather can lead to slippery paths, reduced visibility for drivers, and potential hazards near roads and drains.

We also ask families to stay up to date with any local road closures or transport changes, and to adjust travel plans as needed. If you believe your child may be affected by flooding or safety concerns, please contact the school office for support.

Let’s work together to ensure all students stay safe during this period of heavy rain.

Silent Disco Celebration – A Whole School Reward!

Today, our students enjoyed a fantastic Silent Disco as a whole school reward, celebrating their positive behaviour as part of our PBL (Positive Behaviour for Learning) program.

The event recognised the collective efforts of all students who have consistently followed our school expectations of Respect, Safety, and Engagement. It was a wonderful opportunity to come together and acknowledge the positive choices made across our entire school community—and what a great time everyone had!

Laughter, dancing, and happy faces filled the hall, with students thoroughly enjoying the unique experience of dancing to their own music through wireless headphones.

A big thank you to Miss Lindus and Miss Lewis for organising such a fun and memorable event. We look forward to more celebrations of positive behaviour throughout the year!

Semester 1 Student Reports

Our teachers are currently working on Semester 1 student reports, carefully reflecting on each child’s progress and achievements throughout the first half of the year.

The Department of Education has recently updated its reporting policy, with clearer requirements for all NSW public schools. For students in Years 1–6, teachers will now provide written comments for English, Mathematics, and a general comment section. These comments aim to give families a clear understanding of each child’s strengths, areas for growth, and next steps in learning.

For Kindergarten, teachers will provide comments on each key learning area, including English, Mathematics, Science, History/Geography, Creative Arts, and PDHPE.

Reports will be sent home at the end of this term, and we thank our teachers for their thoughtful and professional work in preparing these important documents.

Have a wonderful week everyone,

Annette Van Egmond

Thank you to the families that respond immediately to our portal push or emails when their child is away, it saves valuable time for the class teacher and office staff.

Attendance Goal.

Mornings bells and supervision.

Students should not arrive before 8.15am in the morning

815am Supervision begins

840am First bell rings - students line up and are collected by the teacher.

845am Second bell rings - the teacher marks the roll and draws the daily attendance prize.

Afternoon dismissal

Unfortunately, we had another near miss with a student running out the front gate and straight across the road in front of the busy pick-up traffic.

A) If your student needs to cross this road in Garawong they need to join the bridge walkers. A teacher will walk them around the cul-de-sac, and they walk through the park out onto Maryland Drive.

B) If they need to cross Maryland Drive then they need to go to the crossing supervisor, cross the road and go either left or right.

C) Only students accompanied by parents will be allowed to leave via the main gate due to safety reasons.

Illegal Parking

Illegal Parking on grass/dirt area next to the creek in Garawong. This is a no stopping zone and cars who park here have been fined approximately $300 and 3 demerit points.

Kind regards

Mrs Simone White

Our staff are passionate about supporting student wellbeing and enable this through initiatives and programs based on trauma-informed practice. We are fortunate to have numerous staff who have trained in the Berry Street Education Model. This course provides teachers with a wide range of strategies and tools to support student wellbeing.

This year, we have continued to use Morning Circles daily in all classrooms. Morning Circles are a part of a trauma-informed approach designed to support the social and emotional well-being of students. They typically involve a structured routine where students gather in a circle to build community, enhance relationships, and promote a positive classroom environment.

During these circles, students engage in various activities such as sharing their feelings, discussing daily goals, or participating in team-building exercises. The aim is to create a safe space where students feel valued and heard, helping to foster resilience and improve their engagement in learning.

To further support student engagement in learning, Ready to Learn Scales are a tool by students and Teachers to identify students' readiness to engage in learning. These scales focus on various domains such as emotional regulation, social skills, and cognitive engagement. By evaluating these areas, Teachers can identify and assist students who may need additional support with engaging in their learning.

KW have a had a wonderful start to Kindergarten. This term, we have been challenging ourselves to apply our knowledge of sounds to reading and writing. It is so wonderful to see such high levels of engagement and excitement as students become more confident and independent learners as the year progresses.

4DB have had a wonderful start to the year, filled with excitement and growth. It has been heartwarming to witness new friendships blossoming as students collaborate and support each other through various challenges. Their enthusiasm and willingness to engage in creative and critical thinking activities have truly set a positive tone for the year ahead. Mrs Davison and Miss Borrow are incredibly proud of the progress each student has made, and it’s clear that our classroom environment is vibrant and full of fun.

• Please remind students to bring their library bag each borrowing day along with any books to return.

• Books can be returned any day to the library and placed in the returns box.

• Library bags can be purchased through Flexischools for a limited introductory price of $6.

• Students will be run through the Premier’s Reading Challenge process over the next week, and a how-to video will be made available on Facebook.

• Keep an eye out for a secondhand book sale coming up soon. More information to come.

As part of the Belonging and Inclusion Team initiatives at Glendore Public School, we will be organising a fundraiser for Stewart House.

As NSW public education’s charity of choice, Stewart House has been providing care since 1931 for children-in-need from all parts of NSW and the ACT.

Each year 1,600 public school children-in-need come to Stewart House from many parts of NSW and the ACT. During their 12-day stay at Stewart House, children are provided with medical, dental and optometric assessment and treatment. For children requiring additional support, counselling is available. This is balanced with health and education programs and out of school activities to boost their self-esteem and promote better physical and mental health. These services are provided free of charge to the children who attend this unique facility.

The Vision is to enable all the children who come to Stewart House to:

• Have a wide range of rich and rewarding experiences

• Be inspired to see beyond their present circumstances

• Have real hope and positive aspirations for their future

To support Stewart House, we will be selling High Bounce Hand Balls for $3. Information has been sent out via School Bytes. Final payment is due by May 23rd.

Students enrolled in Children’s University should be well underway filling in their passports for any learning they have completed outside of the classroom.

Reminder: Mrs Queenan is available every Wednesday during lunch playtime in her room to approve learning hours and to answer any questions students might have.

Discovery Day Excursion will be held on Wednesday 25th June – more information to come!

As part of our Australian History program, we will be going on an exciting excursion to Cockatoo Island in Sydney. During the 60,000 years prior to European settlement, Cockatoo Island was a meeting place for Sydney’s First Nations peoples, who know it as Wareamah. The island was the site of a convict gaol from 1839 to 1869 and a major shipbuilding and repair facility from 1857 to 1992. It features heritage objects, landmarks and structures that offer insights into bygone times.

During their excursion to Cockatoo Island, students will view convict-hewn sandstone buildings and learn about Cockatoo Island’s interesting characters and their stories. Hands-on- learning opportunities and role-play will engage students and connect previous classroom learning to the excursion experience.

Permission and Payment via School Bytes.

Due Dates:

Year 3: Thursday 5th June 2025

Year 4: Thursday 12th June 2025

The 3-6 classes have been taking part in the Premiers Spelling Bee. 2 representatives from each class will participate in a stage based assembly where they will be competing to be the stage representative at the regional finals in Term 3. Parents are welcome to watch and support their children at the stage assemblies.

Thank you to our wonderful Glendore P&C for organising the 2025 Mother’s Day Stall. Thank you to the volunteers who helped wrapping gifts and running the stall on the day. The students were very excited to choose a gift for their Mum, Nan, Aunty or whoever cares for them.

Thank you to the wonderful mothers and significant others who came and enjoyed a picnic recess in the sun and then joined their child / children in the classroom for some activities. It was a wonderful afternoon.

Unfortunately, due to wet weather, our scheduled rounds of the NSW PSSA Primary schools Football Knockout competition were cancelled. We are hopeful to organise a new date in the coming weeks.

Unfortunately, due to the wet weather, our first Crossroads PSSA Soccer Gala day which was to be held on Friday 16th May was cancelled due to ground closures. We will begin our competition on Friday 30th May, week 5. We are hopeful we can use our backup dates to complete the competition.

On Friday 16th May, we had our very first Crossroads Netball Gala Day, and both teams represented Glendore exceptionally well! The players showed great teamwork, enthusiasm, and skill on the court, making the day both competitive and fun. Miss Borrow and Ms McDowell are incredibly proud of everyone’s efforts and are already looking forward to seeing our skills and confidence continue to grow in the coming weeks. Well done, Glendore!

Congratulations to our dedicated Glendore Public School students who proudly represented our school at the recent Zone Cross Country Carnival! They demonstrated great sportsmanship, determination, and resilience throughout the challenging course. We are so proud of their efforts and the way they upheld our school values. Well done, team!

Special mentions to the following students for making to Regionals:

Theo - 1st place Under 10’s

Jett – 3rd Place Under 11’s

Lacey – 2nd Place Under 12/13’s

Payton – 4th Place Under 12/13’s

Flynn – 4th Place Under 12/13’s

Isaac – 8th Place Under 11’s

Last Friday some of our Year 6 students attended a Multi-Sports Day at the local high school, Callaghan College Wallsend Campus. The day included various sports, allowing students to work together as a school team and meet Year 6 students from other local primary schools. Year 10 high school student volunteers helped run the activities and school teams competed against each other. This enjoyable event not only encouraged physical activity but also helped students get ready for their future transition to high school.

Congratulations to Our FISAF Super Series Stars!

We are incredibly proud of the 40 students who represented our school at the FISAF Super Series event on Saturday, 10th May. Their dedication, teamwork, and determination truly shone on the stage.

A special congratulations to the following teams for their outstanding achievements:

• Year 2 Glendore Sparks – 2nd place, Silver medal

• Year 3/4 Phase 1, Glendore Diamonds– 3rd Place, Bronze Medal

• Year 3/4 Phase 2, Glendore Firecrackers – 2nd Place, Silver medal

• Year 5/6 Phase 2, Glendore Emeralds– 2nd Place, Silver Medal

We would also like to give a big shout-out to the Year 5/6 Phase 1 team, Glendore Sapphires. Although they didn’t place this time, their improvement in such a short time has been phenomenal. They should be incredibly proud of their performance and the effort they put into representing our school.

Thankyou for the support from families who helped the day run so smoothly! We couldn’t do this without you!

Well done to all students—you’ve done yourselves and your school proud!