The Punchbowl Press

During Public Education Week, Punchbowl Public School proudly celebrated the achievements and creativity of our students by hosting a P-6 Art Trail. Every student contributed at least one artwork creating an extensive display that showcased their talents, cultural backgrounds and learning across all stages.

We extend our sincere thanks to all students, staff and families for their ongoing commitment to supporting quality public education and embracing the talent that exists within our school community. Special appreciation goes to the staff who dedicated countless hours preparing the displays and to the P&C for arranging such a delicious afternoon tea.

Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make this celebration a success. 

Watch the video highlights on our Facebook page

-Public Education Week Team 

Our SaCC continues to deliver regular weekly programs for early learners, school-aged children and parents.

Step into Work – Ten women are participating in this five-week course designed to help them develop the skills needed to find meaningful paid work.

Better Beginnings and Self Care – Nine women are taking part in this afternoon program, which supports them in promoting respectful, caring and nurturing relationships with their children.

Transition to Preschool Playgroup – This playgroup supports four-year-olds in preparing for preschool through engaging play experiences.

Learning Club – Nineteen students from Kindergarten to Year 6 are attending this program after school every Monday.

Early childhood therapists from Everyday Independence visited our playgroup to provide families with information and support in areas where their child may need extra help to develop their skills.

Upcoming events:

• Police Safety Talk – Monday 19 August, 9:30am

• 123 Magic + Yoga – Starts Sunday 15 September, 9:15am

A special thank you to our volunteers Adis, Reece, and ACU students Analise and Monisha for their ongoing dedication in supporting families and their children.

For all program enquiries, please contact Asenati Mareko on 0439 487 865.

Asenati Mareko – SaCC Facilitator Farhana – Playgroup Coordinator Hasna – Bilingual Staff

Stay updated with SaCC news on the Punchbowl Public School as Community Centre Facebook page.

For all program inquiries, please contact Asenati Mareko on 0439 487 865.

Asenati Mareko – SaCC Facilitator

Early Intervention

Over the past few weeks, the Wallabies group has been actively engaged in a range of sensory and learning experiences designed to spark curiosity, encourage exploration, and support diverse learning opportunities. A highlight of this period was their participation in the schoolwide art exhibition for Education Week. The children explored various mediums and textured materials, using hands-on techniques that encouraged creativity, observation, and meaningful connections with the world around them.  

Alongside our creative endeavours, we’ve also been focusing on table-time activities such as tracing, cutting, threading, and name writing. These tasks are essential for developing fine motor skills, improving hand-eye coordination, and laying the foundations for early literacy. It has been wonderful to witness the children’s growing confidence, persistence, and enthusiasm as they embrace these challenges.   

Preschool

The Early Intervention Emus and Preschoolers collaborated on an epic project! 🌟 They transformed the sandpit into a thriving mining town, complete with a winding river and lush trees. 🚜🌳 The kids had a blast using a range of tractors and engaging in imaginative play. They collected sticks and little branches to create a forest around the river.  The children asked for foil and this became the river.👏 Kudos to all the little creatives for their teamwork and innovative thinking! 💡 This activity was a fantastic example of play-based learning in action! 🎉 

At the end of Week 2, our Kindergarten students celebrated an exciting milestone — 100 Days of Kindy! They are officially 100 days stronger, smarter, braver, and kinder, and we couldn't be prouder of all they've achieved. To mark the occasion, kindergarten students created special 100-day crowns, explored what they could build with 100 items, made delicious fairy bread, and practiced their fine motor skills by threading colourful Fruit Loop necklaces.  

Stage 1 students are thoroughly enjoying the ZING Active Dance Production Program currently being held at our school. Through this engaging and dynamic program, our students are learning to perform choreographed routines while developing technical precision, expressive movement and coordination—all in a fun and supportive atmosphere. 

Here’s what some of our students have to say: 

• Ariana – 1 Pearl: “I love the dance class because I feel like I’m playing.” 

• Maryam – ½ Saphire: “I love it because it is super fun!” 

• Aairah – 1 Pearl: “I’m new to this school and am looking forward to it.” 

• Hasan – 2 Ruby: “I love being active and practicing my skills.” 

• Malaka – 2 Ruby: “I like that everybody has a turn at being a line leader.” 

• Heleina – 2 Neptunite: “It makes me feel more flexible and helps me want to be more active.” 

• Ahmad – 2 Neptunite: “I always feel more fit after the session and it makes me feel happier.” 

We are so pleased to see our Stage 2 students return to school after the break with such a positive attitude! It’s been wonderful to watch them settle quickly into their routines, reconnect with friends, and re-engage with their learning. 

From the very first day back, students have shown focus, responsibility, and enthusiasm in the classroom. They’ve jumped straight into new learning experiences and are already working hard across all subject areas. Whether it's exploring new concepts in Maths, diving into rich texts in literacy, or collaborating on group activities, Stage 2 students are showing great commitment and pride in their work. 

We’re looking forward to a fantastic term ahead! 

On Monday the 4th of August, a special day was celebrated, and Aboriginal people came to our school so we could learn all about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's culture, how they lived, what they used, and how they took care of the land. On this special day, four activities were included, such as games, dancing, artifacts, and lastly, creating artwork with all our help. 

The first activity was dancing. Firstly, the lady explained what traditional clothing they would wear, which was an amazing grass skirt, along with a floral, vibrant, colourful dress. For the men, they would also wear grass skirts with face paintings. Secondly, we learned two traditional dances called “Taba Naba” and “Sasa” (not sure what it was called), which were interesting and fun! 

The second activity was artifacts. We learned about all the weapons they used like spears. The guy showed us what they used for communicating with others from a long distance, it was a rope that he whirled in a circle that made a cool sound. Aboriginal people did face painting, and what they used for face painting was ochre, they put some water in it, then it becomes a natural paint for your body. At the end of the artifact's activity, we got to get face painting.  

The third activity was games. The lady made us play a fun game with 3 sides, one side was “Mal”, another side was “Balu”, and the last one was “Gulibal” (Not sure how to spell) The point of the game was to get to that side if it is called. The last one to run there is out, and that keeps on repeating until there is one winner! 

The last activity was art! Firstly, we waited in line, and we had to put our hands on this black, large canvas and she sprayed this white paint on top, after that we washed our hands. We used teamwork, creativity and focus to create this artwork. 

In the end, we had an assembly, where everyone gathered around. Firstly, what happened was a smoking ceremony where it removes the negativity in your body and it also added some positive things too. Then the Aboriginal people called over some people to come out to the front to do some dancing together! After all of that, we thanked them for coming and this was the end of our fun, special day. We’re looking forward to next year’s NAIDOC Week! 

Nurim Lee – 5 Success

Arabic in Stage 1 This term, Stage 1 students have been exploring the exciting topic of zoo animals in their Arabic lessons. Through songs, stories, and games, they are learning the names of animals such as الأسد (lion), زرافة (giraffe), and فيل (elephant). Students are also developing their listening and speaking skills as they practise using simple sentences to describe animals. These fun and engaging activities are helping students build confidence in using Arabic while also learning about animals and the culture of the Arabic-speaking world.  

Arabic in Early Stage 1: 

This term, Kindergarten are learning about ‘Family’. They are learning how to say Father (Ab), Mother (Omm), Me (Ana), Sister (Okht), Brother (Akh) and Grandparents in Arabic. They are learning through songs, the ELLA App unit about the family, and practising writing and spelling the words in a variety of methods. They are loving the songs, repeating them all the time, and they are also enjoying the challenge of writing the words. 

Please take time to look at the photos and share your thoughts with your child. 

Mrs Awada & Mrs Roffaell – Community Language teachers.