Newsletter

Date	Event
20-22 October	5/6 Point Wolstoncroft Camp
22 October	K-2 Calmsley Hill City Farm Excursion
23 October	Kindergarten 2026 Teddy Bears Picnic
30 October	League Tag Gala Day
4 November	Kindergarten 2026 Orientation Session 1 & Parent Expo
5 November	P&C AGM meeting
10-14 November	Swim Program Years 2-6
19 November	Kindergarten 2026 Orientation Session 2
2 December	Year 7 2026 Orientation Day
3 December	P&C Meeting at 6.30pm
4 December	Presentation Day
15 December	Whole School Assembly 2:15pm
17 December	Semester 2 reports home
17 December	Year 6 Farewell
18 December	Class Party Day
19 December	Last day of Term 4

*Dates subject to change. Please ensure you regularly check for updates.

Statement of Accounts	All Years	Overdue
Point Wolstoncroft Camp	Years 5-6	Overdue
Calmsley Hill City Farm Excursion	K-2	10.10.25
Swim Program	Years 2	22.9.25

A number of important projects were undertaken around the school grounds during the school holidays. These include:

• removal of the aging soft fall under the 3-6 play equipment. This has been replaced with soft fall bark and new playground edging.
• installation of a new electronic gate system on the office and SaCC gate entrances. These gates can now remain locked during the school day, with visitors to the school buzzing in for entry. 
• replacement of the concrete walkways between D & E blocks, including removal of the rotting outdoor furniture outside the canteen area. You will notice new garden edging, stairs and handrails as you move through this area of the school. 
• installation of a new alarm system

In coming weeks, we expect the building of our new playground equipment to begin. This will be installed on the grass slope adjacent to the vegetable garden. These works will also include the installation of a new outdoor classroom area within our vegetable garden.

Schools Infrastructure have provided the Telopea Community with a planning update for the school. This announcement includes the delivery of a new hall and amenities (toilets) and the refurbishment of our current hall into 2 classrooms. This project will also involve the demolishing of K block, which is our current student toilet building. I will work closely with Schools Infrastructure on this project as a member of the Project Reference Group. More information is provided in the flyer below.

Late last term I had the great honour of attending a special ceremony at the NSW Department of Education's Parramatta Office, at which Phillipa Martins (Miss Pip) was awarded an Executive Director's Award for significant contribution to NSW Public Schools. Miss Pip has worked tirelessly to support the families of Telopea through the SaCC project at our school for more than 15 years. It is impossible to list all of the ways in which she does this, but some of her initiatives include Breakfast Club, Playgroup, Sing Rhyme & Storytime, Baby Play & Connect group, transition to school programs, health screening, parenting support groups, food hampers, first aid courses and Yarn Up for our Aboriginal students. Pip is a friendly face for all new families joining our school and goes out of her way to ensure all of our parents and students have everything they need to thrive in those important early years. She is the heart and soul of our school and is more than deserving of this prestigious award. Congratulations Miss Pip!

On Thursday 23rd October, we will launch our Kindergarten Orientation Program for 2026. This will be a Teddy Bears Picnic and Treasure Hunt starting at 9:15am for our new Kindy students and their families.  If your child is due to start school next year or if you know of a neighbour or family member please encourage them to complete their school enrolment as soon as possible so they can join this special event. 

If your family is planning to move for the 2026 school year and will be changing schools, please advise the school office as soon as possible. This will allow for important planning and staffing considerations for the new school year.

The school is pleased to announce that the Student Eyecare Program will be running at the school in Week 6 and 7 of Term 4, 2025. An optometrist will be onsite during school hours to provide students with a free comprehensive eye examination that is covered through Medicare Australia. 1 in 6 students have eye conditions that go undetected. This is due to the high level of visual demand on their eyes from books, laptops, tablets and smartphones. Every student will receive a full report about their eye health and a prescription will be provided if glasses are required. The prescription can be taken to any optical store to get the glasses made. Don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity.

To sign up, register online at:  https://forms.gle/VX6JTdKqwyYBJeoD7

In Term 4, students in Years 5 to 12 will gain access to NSWEduChat, a safe generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tool developed by the NSW Department of Education.

NSWEduChat has been successfully trialled in 50 schools since 2024 and staff and students have provided positive feedback about the tool and how students can use it.

NSWEduChat works differently to other commonly used GenAI tools. It does not just give direct answers to students. Instead, it provides guidance and asks open-ended questions encouraging students to think critically and express their ideas, reasoning, and assumptions.

Important actions for families:

Please read the parental privacy notice, which includes information on NSWEduChat, data collection, and privacy.

Benefits of NSWEduChat

• Creates new opportunities to enhance teaching and learning, while maintaining a safe and human-centred approach in the classroom where we value teacher expertise.
• Promotes equitable learning opportunities by providing students with a free, safe and effective generative AI (GenAI) tool that is owned and designed by the department.
• Enables students to develop critical AI skills in a safe environment where content is filtered, and their data is secured.
• Helps teachers advance students’ independent learning and critical thinking. We’ve heard from our trial school principals that NSWEduChat is a valuable resource for advancing these skills and increasing student confidence and engagement. Students have said it helps them understand their work better, develop their writing skills and break down complex tasks.

How students can access NSWEduChat

Students will be able to access the tool using a single sign-on via the NSWEduChat website or the student portal. Students will need to log in using their NSW Department of Education login. Only the student who is logged in should use NSWEduChat.

For more information about NSWEduChat, please refer to Student use of NSWEduChat on the department’s website.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the school.

The last day of Term 3 was bursting with colour, excitement, and laughter as Telopea Public School celebrated its Novelty Fun Day. Students from each house team enthusiastically participated in a range of engaging and entertaining novelty games, showcasing wonderful team spirit and cooperation throughout the day. It was a fantastic way to finish the term on a positive and energetic note. A big thank you to all students for their outstanding sportsmanship, teamwork, and enthusiasm, and to the staff for helping make the day such a memorable success.

Late last term a group of our primary-aged Aboriginal students had the opportunity to attend the Carlingford Network Big Mob Day. We visited the Gibberagong Environmental Centre for a day of learning on Country with Uncle Laurie and Uncle Les. At school we learn the 3 Rs - reading, writing and arithmetic. When on Country, we learn the 3 Ls - look, listen and learn. We went for a long walk around the local environment, looking at Aboriginal rock carvings, listening to Uncle Les & Uncle Laurie tell stories and learning about the way Aboriginal people lived in the past and cared for Country. We especially enjoyed trying to start a fire using only 2 sticks and using the spears to catch a kangaroo. 

A reminder that we have now officially changed over to the Summer School uniform. Students are encouraged to wear the correct items of uniform each day including the school hat. Please see the photos below for acceptable uniform items of clothing.

COLLECTING STUDENTS FROM SCHOOL

A reminder that if you have made arrangements for someone to collect your child/ren that is outside of your normal arrangements, please ensure that you have notified the office so we are aware and can let other staff members know in a timely manner.  This applies to leaving early and for the end of the day. 

SAFETY

A reminder to all students and parents that entry to the School is via the Pedestrian gate on Chestnut Ave located near Block D. This is for everyone's safety. If you require disabled access there are two entry points into the school via the ramp into the school office and via the gate on the corner of Sturt and Manson Streets. 

NOTES SENT HOME

On occasion important notes will be sent home. Please ensure you remember to check your child's bag each day.

CELEBRATIONS

Here at TPS we enjoy celebrating student’s birthdays. You are most welcome to bring in something to celebrate but we ask that individual store bought small bite size cupcakes or individually wrapped sweets are brought in to school as this makes it easier for the students to eat. A large cake makes it difficult to distribute to their classmates. 

LOST PROPERTY

There are a number of items in the Lost Property box which do not have names on them. If your child is missing an item, please check this box which is located in the D Block breezeway.

CONTACT INFORMATION OR CIRCUMSTANCE CHANGE

Please ensure that your contact details are up to date. It is important that the School be able to contact you in case of your child being ill, a child not being collected from school or in case of emergency etc. If your family circumstances change, please also provide the school with any updated documentation. 

You can notify the school of any changes or updates via written confirmation or complete the template form located in the office foyer. 

MOBILE PHONES OR DEVICES

If you require your child to carry a mobile phone/device, you will be required to complete a permission note (please see the school office if you require this note). Student mobile phones/device are to be turned off and handed to the school office during school hours in the morning. Mobile phones/devices will be returned to the students at the end of each day. 

Dear Telopea PS and SaCC Communities,

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Telopea SaCC partners with numerous community organisations to support and engage our families and school.Two notable organisations, Hope Connect located in Shortland Street, and the Dundas Area Neighbourhood Centre (DANC) opposite our school, also support families and the community of Telopea. As a result of my work with Hope Connect, I was recently invited to and attended their 50th anniversary celebration. The event was a showcase of Hope Connect's tremendous reach and valued Telopea asset. I feel honoured to have been invited and look forward to our continued partnership. My partnership with DANC has grown and developed over the past fifteen years. We have jointly organised various community events and supported each other in initiatives within our venues. Recently DANC have kindly extended their reach to TPS by way of Friday bread donations. Staff and I appreciate the opportunity to distribute bread to our families and on behalf of our school community would like to thank DANC for their kind gesture. 

Pip

Phillipa (Pip) Martins

Facilitator - Telopea 'Schools as Community Centres' (SaCC) Project

Ph: (02) 9898 3448

email: phillipa.martins@det.nsw.edu.au

Jubilee Community Services provide Before School, After School and Vacation Care Services. 

For more information you can contact them on 0421 225 694 or yaoosh@jubileecs.org.au 

Below is the link should you wish to enrol your child/ren.

http://ccs-yatesavenueoosh.kinderm8.com.au/enrolment-form