
Guildford West Public School
NEWSLETTER - 2025, Term 2, Week 5
New School Report Format – Coming in Term 2
We’re pleased to let you know that from Term 2, Guildford West Public School will be introducing updated student reports.
The NSW Department of Education has developed this new format based on feedback from families and educators who wanted reports that are clearer and easier to understand.
What’s Changing?
Reports will still show your child’s progress across all subject areas.
Teacher comments will appear in English, mathematics, and a general comment section, in line with department policy.
For Kindergarten, the general comment will also include progress in creative arts, HSIE, PDHPE, and science and technology.
A new achievement scale with clearer descriptions will help give a more accurate picture of how your child is progressing.
3- Way Interviews (parent, teacher, child)
We know that reports are just one part of the picture. Parent–teacher interviews remain a valuable opportunity to discuss your child’s learning and progress in more detail. These interviews will be held at the start of Term 3, after reports are sent home in Week 10 of Term 2.
We welcome any questions or feedback about the new report format and look forward to continuing our strong partnership in supporting your child’s learning.
Opportunity Class Coming to Guildford West PS in 2026!
We are excited to share that Guildford West Public School will welcome its very first Opportunity Class (OC) in 2026!
The class will begin with 15 Year 5 students in 2026, and another 15 Year 5 students will join in 2027 as the program grows to support both Years 5 and 6.
What is an Opportunity Class?
Opportunity classes are specialised learning environments designed for high-potential and gifted students in Years 5 and 6. These classes offer a stimulating and challenging curriculum, allowing students to learn at a faster pace and explore ideas in greater depth.
To be considered for an OC placement:
Parents/carers must apply
Students sit a placement test in Year 4
Most OC students attend a school outside of their current one, specifically chosen for its OC program. We are proud that Guildford West PS will soon be one of those schools.
A Balanced Learning Experience
While the academic focus is strong, OC students also enjoy a well-rounded education. They can still pursue their passions in the creative and performing arts, sport, debating, and social justice, all within an environment that celebrates curiosity, creativity, and high achievement.
Stay tuned for more updates about this exciting addition to our school!
Exciting News – A New Public Preschool for Guildford West PS!
We’re thrilled to announce that construction of our new public preschool will begin soon! The preschool will be located on our school grounds, at the corner of King and Princes Streets, and will play a vital role in strengthening the learning journey of children across the Guildford West Public School community.
This exciting addition is part of the NSW Government’s commitment to building 100 new public preschools, all scheduled to be delivered by Term 1, 2027.
While enrolments are not yet open, we’ll keep our community informed with updates about the opening date and enrolment process, once construction progresses and relevant approvals are in place.
To stay informed, you can visit the School Infrastructure NSW website for the latest updates on this project and the broader preschool initiative.
We look forward to welcoming new families and supporting the early learning needs of our future students!
Winter School Uniform Reminder
As the colder weather sets in, we’re seeing more students wearing their jumpers and jackets to stay warm. This is a friendly reminder that we are all proud members of Guildford West Public School, and wearing our school uniform is an important part of showing that pride.
Below are our school uniform requirements. We understand that jackets and jumpers can easily be misplaced, especially in the playground. To help with this, we encourage all parents and carers to clearly label jackets with your child's name. This makes it much easier for lost items to be returned.
As part of our support for families, the school has washing facilities and we regularly collect, wash, dry, and fold lost property items. These are available for any student in need of a jacket.
Where to purchase uniform items:
Blue jackets and jumpers can be purchased from:
The school uniform shop
Kmart
Best & Less
Big W
Important Note:
All teachers will be monitoring and sending reminders home if students attend school wearing non-uniform items such as coloured or branded sports tops and bottoms.
As part of our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) expectations, being in the correct school uniform is an important way to demonstrate respect and responsibility. We ask all parents and carers to help ensure students come to school in uniform every day.
Thank you for your ongoing support!
Support Unit News
S Bluebell Class Highlights
Cooking Corner
This week in S Bluebell, we turned our garden harvest into a tasty treat! Using the carrots we’ve been growing ourselves, we baked carrot and chocolate chip muffins. At first, many of us weren’t sure about mixing veggies and chocolate—but wow, were we surprised! They turned out to be absolutely delicious. We loved grating the carrots, cracking the eggs and whisking it all together. It was so exciting to cook with something we planted ourselves!
Literacy Love
Our literacy time has been buzzing with energy and enthusiasm! We’ve been diving into our new sounds and working hard with hands-on activities. There’s a real sense of teamwork and celebration in the air as we cheer each other on in learning to read and write. Every win—big or small—is a reason to smile, and we’re so proud of how far we’ve come already!
Musical Moments
We love music time in S Bluebell! Playing instruments together brings so much joy, and we’re always excited to learn new rhythms and tunes. Our absolute favourites? Disney songs, of course! From Let It Go to Under the Sea, we sing and play with enthusiasm and heart. A huge thank you to Mrs. Yousif for teaching us this wonderful skill—we're learning so much and having loads of fun doing it!
Early Stage 1 News
Welcome back! Our little kindergarteners have come back to school ready to learn. Students have settled back into classroom routines, actively participating in learning activities and working together with their peers.
Our Kindergarten students have been diving into the exciting world of music through the hands-on Amplify program. They've been discovering the magic of music by playing a variety of percussion instruments. With each session, they explore and experiment with rhythm, beat, tune, dynamics, and pitch. The classroom comes alive with the sounds of drums, tambourines, maracas, and xylophones, as the children learn to create and appreciate music in a fun and interactive way.
Walker Learning provides students with endless opportunities to extend their understanding in all learning areas. Students are exploring the diverse ways families celebrate special occasions—such as Eid, Easter, Christmas, and birthdays—through hands-on activities and discussions. This approach fosters empathy and a deeper understanding of the various traditions within our community. In the science area, students are investigating the characteristics of living things, focusing on how plants and animals survive and thrive in their environments. Through inquiry-based activities, they observe, discuss, and represent their findings, connecting their learning to the world around them. This approach encourages curiosity and critical thinking, allowing children to connect their learning to the world around them .
Stage 1 News
Stage One didn’t just ease into Term 2 — they hit the ground running with smiles, curiosity, and loads of enthusiasm!
Chicken Watch: Egg-citing Times in the Hen House!
This term, it was finally our turn to take on the much-anticipated responsibility of Chicken Watch! Each week, a different class is in charge of caring for our beloved resident chickens. Every day, we head down to the coop to feed the hens, refill their water, and collect freshly laid eggs — which we count and tally with great excitement!
Our students have thoroughly enjoyed stepping inside the coop and learning firsthand what it takes to care for animals. Along the way, we’ve discovered not only the joys of egg collecting, but also the important life lessons about responsibility, animal care, and how living things thrive. It's been an egg-ceptional experience for all!
Stage 1 is embracing our new approach to teaching mathematics! Concepts are explicitly taught and revisited regularly to strengthen their long-term understanding. This engaging, evidence-based retrieval practice is proving to be highly effective, with students responding positively to the new system.
In English, students are learning the skills required to write a narrative. They draw on their creative minds to develop ideas and translate them into sentences and cohesive stories. Walker Learning provides students with hands-on learning experiences. This term, Stage 1 is exploring the differences between the past and present, with a special focus on everyday items. One of the highlights has been investigating old-fashioned phones with dials and cords.
Stage 2 News
🎵 Exploring Music with Amplify
Stage 2 students have been exploring the magic of music through the Amplify program. They’ve been learning to identify and respond to key musical elements like rhythm, pitch, dynamics, and tempo in hands-on and playful ways. From keeping the beat with body percussion to experimenting with instruments and singing together, students are growing in musical confidence and creativity while developing a lifelong appreciation for the art of sound.
➕ Strengthening Maths Skills with Daily Review
This year, our Stage 2 students are learning maths through an explicit teaching approach that supports all learners. Each day begins with a quick daily review, giving students regular opportunities to revise past concepts and consolidate their understanding. These short sessions help keep their maths knowledge fresh and up to date, boosting their confidence and success in new learning. Families can support by encouraging quick maths chats at home!
Stage 3 News
Mother’s Day
In the spirit of Mother’s Day, our Stage 3 students took part in a creative and heartfelt craft activity, designing their very own personalised tea towels and wooden spoons. Using bright fabric markers, they brought their ideas to life with colourful patterns, sweet messages, and artistic flair.
Each student thoughtfully decorated a tea towel, adding special touches that reflected their love and appreciation. Alongside these, they created matching personalised spoons, turning simple items into treasured keepsakes. A big thank you to our students for their amazing efforts.
Students Explore the World Through Travel Brochures
As part of their Geography unit “How do places, people and cultures differ across the world?”, students created travel brochures based on a country of their choice from an assigned continent.
They researched and recorded important geographical facts, including landmarks, climate, culture, and traditions. They used this information to design colourful and informative brochures. Students included maps, images, and persuasive language to encourage others to visit their chosen country. The activity also sparked great class discussions about global differences and similarities.
This hands-on learning experience helped students deepen their understanding of the world’s diversity while building valuable research and creative skills.
Guildford West Public School
Email: guildfordw-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au
Website: www.guildfordw-p.schools.nsw.edu.au
Location: 23-51 Palmer Street, Guildford West NSW, Australia
Phone: (02) 9632-9942
Facebook: guildfordwestps