Pendle Hill Public School News

Dear Parents/Carers,

Welcome back to Pendle Hill PS in 2025. We have had a wonderful and productive start to the year and we are looking forward to an incredible year.

We have welcomed some new staff this year to our school. Welcome to Jiya Logan and Deniz Aksay who are teaching 3J this year. A warm welcome to Darshan Kaur who is teaching 3/4K and Samantha Nair who is teaching in Stage 3.

Staff participated in 4 staff development days at the start of the year, before students started school. We were learners on these days building our knowledge of:-

• explicit teaching of mathematics
• Daily Review
• Social and Emotional Program - Second Step
• Transition information of students
• Positive Behaviour for Learning

Staff also worked collaboratively on teaching and learning programs to be implemented successfully in Term 1.

We appreciate the hard work that all staff undertake to ensure the transition of students into their new class is successful.

A list of classes and teachers is below:-

KA Ms Nadia Austin Kanafani

KD Mrs Dragotta

KR Mrs Rich

1P Ms Page

1H Ms Holden

2W Mrs Watson

2V Mrs Vile

3J Mrs Logan & Ms Aksay

3/4K Mrs Kaur

3/4L Ms Li

5/6B Ms Bamunuarachchige

5/6F Mrs Foley

5/6N Ms Nair

4-6M Ms McConnell

3-6X Ms Xavier

Mrs Akamatis - Preschool

Mrs O'Gorman-Hughes - Early Intervention

We look forward to working with parents and our community again this year,

Nicole Hogan

Relieving Principal

Term 1 2025

6.2.25 - Students return to school.

Changes to term dates 2025

There have been some changes to the number of school development days teachers will have for professional learning over the next few years. In primary schools we have four new curriculums to implement by the beginning of 2027. Planning for these changes require a lot of teacher professional development so teachers can understand the aims of the curriculums and effectively plan and teach using them. The additional days will support the implementation of those curriculums and effective learning for students. The new 2025 term start dates for students are listed below.

• Term 1: Thursday 6th, February
• Term 2: Wednesday 30 April
• Term 3: Tuesday 22 July
• Term 4: Tuesday 14 October

Welcome to our new preschool families. The children are settling in well and becoming familiar with Mrs Akamatis, Mrs Rowe and their peers. They are having fun exploring the indoor and outdoor environment.

Margaret Akamatis

Pendle Hill Public School Preschool

Welcome to our new Kindergarten children and their families. We are looking forward to having you in our Pendle Hill Public School community. The children are settling into their new classes and are beginning to learn school and classroom routines and expectations. It was great to meet you at the parent information night.

Leadership Camp was held on Wednesday 19th February till Friday 21st February 2025. Stay tuned for more information aswell as an album which will be on our school website gallery for more pictures.

Congratulations to our competitors at the Swimming Carnival on Thursday 20th February. Mrs Wierzbicki and Mrs Hogan took seven students to the carnival in combination with Wentworthville Public School. We were a small and mighty team of seven students (Kenit, Aarushan, Kavya, Banee, Ismail, Lakkishaa and Idhika) and two teachers, as well as several parents. Our students competed with courage and effort. We proudly cheered on our team mates loudly as well as competitors from Wentworthville PS. Our team spirit was to be commended and our swimmers said that they could hear us in the pool which motivated them to keep swimming strongly. The behaviour of our students at the carnival was outstanding and several teachers commented on how well mannered the students at Pendle Hill PS were. Congratulations on a day of competition and team work. Thank you to Wentworthville Public school for inviting us to join their carnival again this year.

Dear Parents/Carers

The school has partnered with Subway Fresh to deliver healthy lunch options for your child. The menu is attached to this note and has a selection of healthy Subs, wraps, salads and drinks.

Parents are able to order lunch options for their child on

Wednesday and Friday.

Orders can only be made through Spriggy Schools. You will need to download the app and follow the instructions on the attached page. Your child's order will be delivered to our school at lunch time.

Orders will need to be placed by 10am each Wednesday and Friday. No late will be accepted.

Nicole Hogan

Relieving Principal

18.2.2025

We want to do all we can to be sure your child achieves their potential and enjoys being in school.

We know that school is the best place to learn. By attending school every day your child will get the most out of their learning .

Please ensure your child returns back to school for 2025 on Day One. Returning on time helps us get all children into classes quickly for a start on class programs with 2025 teachers. If you have change plans please let the office know on Day One or by posting a messageon Sentral before we return

.

A reminder that planned travel should only be taken during school holidays and students should be at school every day during school term, right from beginning to end.

As part of our school plan we are focusing on systematic and explicit vocabulary instruction in classrooms. Vocabulary knowledge is also important in the first years at school as oral language comprehension has been shown to support accurate word recognition. Vocabulary knowledge is a strong predictor of reading comprehension by Year 5, and by Year 8 it is the main predictor of success.

Read more about vocabulary instruction in the attachment.

Complete the survey (QR code) when you have read about vocabulary instruction to help our planning and for us to identify what information is useful to parents.

The canteen provider will be changing in 2025.

Spriggy schools will still be used but menus and general operation will be changed.

Applications will be open from 7 November 2024 to February 2025 for both selective high school and opportunity class placement. From 7 November parents and carers can apply online using the Selective high school and opportunity class placement application website for students who are currently in Year 3 for OC class 2026 and currently inYear 5 for Year 7 Selective High School , 2026. There will be no late applications due to the longer application period.

See below for specific information regarding Girraween Selective HS.

Shop online or at the onsite shop in the school grounds.

Shop opened every Wednesday 8.30-9.30 am

Online orders at www.exceluniforms.com.au

Order online for delivery at school

Any enquires can be made direct to Excel Uniforms

Phone 0405 506 383/Email php@exceluniforms.com.au

Please log on to the Internet and register for access to our Parent Portal where you can make payments, see notes and information and submit absences. You need a parent access key to set up an account, the office can provide you with an access key.

You can register here https://pendlehill-p.sentral.com.au/auth/portal?action=register

Once you have logged in and registered with your access key you should see the screen below where you can either make a payment, see notes or submit an absence.

School student travel information for parents and students

School Travel Passes

Applications are now open for 2025 School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) travel.
Students in the Opal network applying for an Opal card (including a Term Bus Pass) for the first time will receive their School Opal card at their nominated postal address from mid-January 2025.
Students who require a School Opal card or travel pass but have not yet applied need to apply or update their details as soon as possible.
In the Opal network, students should travel with a Child/Youth Opal card until they receive their valid School Opal card. If outside Greater Sydney, parents should contact their local bus operator to discuss their travel needs.

On site before and afterschool care provided by Activity Centres Inc.

Ph. 0403 865 828

Cool Kids Music Co. Small Group Music Lessons at School. Enrol Now for 2024.

Parent supervision for children attending cool kids music class

Just a reminder that all students attending music classes need to have a parent with them before and during the class. There is no supervision for children waiting for class to begin at 3.30pm.

This summer, the City of Parramatta Libraries invites all children aged 16 and under to sign up for the Summer Reading Holiday Program, where they can win exciting prizes.

Dive into a world of imagination and prepare for a season brimming with creativity, captivating stories, and the chance to embark on new adventures while celebrating the joy of reading.

Pick up a brochure at your local library, or for more details, visit https://parra.city/SRHP202425

Every child has the right to a safe, happy home connected to family and community.

By opening your home and your heart to a child in need, you can help provide a child with the stability and connection to culture that they need to thrive.

For singles, couples or families, fostering can fit and enhance your current stage of life.

Whether you are able to commit to respite care on weekends or during school holidays, or care for a child on a short or long term basis, your impact will be long lasting.

Please see flyer below for registration.

The Y and Merrylands Youth Centre are collaborating and offering “Streetgym”

Streetgym is a FREE program that offers sporting activities/active sessions during the School Term followed by snacks and drinks which are provided. It is somewhat similar to ‘Fit For Life’ held at PCYC’s.

The sessions will be held every Wednesday between 2:30pm and 4:30pm at Merrylands Youth Centre located at 289 Merrylands Road, Merrylands. I will be making my way down to most sessions as well to support and encourage participation and it could be a great opportunity for young people to engage with the police for positive reasons.

I have attached a flyer for the program. If you feel it would benefit your students, please feel free to share on social media or in school newsletters etc.

Any questions or if you want to know more, please contact me via email or phone.

Have a great day!

Dean Tonkin

Cumberland Youth Officer
Cumberland Police Area Command
15-17 Memorial Avenue Merrylands
E: cmbylo@police.nsw.gov.au P: 98974810 E: 78810 M: 0456 998 497