Dear JPS Community,

P&C Annual General Meeting

Last year, we saw the resignation of several key executive members of the P&C. I would like to sincerely thank Nora, Pippa, Alanna and Jade for the time, dedication and energy they contributed during their time in these roles, and for the wonderful way they continue to support our school through events and fundraisers.

In week 4, our P&C held their Annual General Meeting. I would like to congratulate and warmly welcome the newly elected P&C Executive for the coming year:

• President: Maureen Murphy
• Vice President: Sarah Terry
• Secretary: Peta Renton
• Treasurer: Alanna Dean

Thank you to Maureen, Sarah, Peta and Alanna for fulfilling these important roles. Volunteering to serve on the P&C Executive is a generous commitment of time and energy, and it plays a vital role in supporting our school community and creating opportunities for our students.

I would also like to thank all parents and community members who are part of the P&C. Your support, ideas and willingness to get involved make a genuine difference to our school.

ANZAC Day

Jamberoo Community Service

The Jamberoo ANZAC Day Service will be held on Saturday 18 April 2025, the final Saturday of the school holidays. This is a significant community event and our school’s involvement over many years has always been warmly welcomed.

Students will assemble at the RSL Hall, 1 Allowrie Street from 10.00am. The march will step off at approximately 10.20am, followed by the main service at the Jamberoo School of Arts, 30 Allowrie Street, commencing at 10.30am. Undercover seating will be provided for students during the service.

Students are invited to:

·         Join the community march

·         Assist with singing the National Anthem (both verses)

Our School Captains and Vice Captains have also been invited to:

·         Act as Flag Bearers in the march

·         Read selected prayers during the service

Jamberoo Public School Service

In addition to the community service, our JPS ANZAC Service will be held on Thursday 23 April at 9.15am and will be coordinated by our School Captains and Vice Captains under the guidance of Mrs Dammerel. We are honoured to welcome special guests Terry Stamp and Michael Souter from the RSL, who will join us for this important occasion.

Kiama Community Service

For families who may also wish to attend services on ANZAC Day itself (25 April), the Dawn Service will be held at 5.30am at the Kiama Blowhole. The main march from the Council Chambers on Manning Street begins at 10.30am, and the main service at the Arch at 11.00am. Students are welcome to participate in this march as well.

We thank the Jamberoo RSL for their continued support and for including our students in these important acts of remembrance.

Junior Tradies

We are very grateful to our local Men’s Shed who have kindly offered to support our Stage 3 Big Boy Builders (BBB) – Junior Tradies group by preparing a pre-cut project for the students to assemble early next term. At this stage, a project is still being decided, but it will likely be one of the following: a toolbox caddie, bird box or small planter box.

The Men’s Shed will cut and prepare the materials ahead of time, allowing the boys to focus on safely assembling the project while learning practical skills such as measuring, hammering, teamwork and problem solving. We are incredibly appreciative of their generosity and support in helping make this hands-on learning opportunity possible for our students.

The boys this term have already been involved in learning about plumbing, will learn about safety with hammers and nails in week 7, build a garden bed in week 8, look inside a tap/fixing a tap in week 9 and look at pipe connections & a design challenge in week 10. While this is a hands-on group where students are learning new practical skills, the broader aim is to build resilience, teamwork and positive communication as they work collaboratively to solve problems, support one another and take pride in creating something together.

Mr Chad was out at bunnings on Friday to purchase hammers, safety goggles and nails for their upcoming session this week. We will send a permission note out to families and have completed a risk assessment for the boys to be hammering nails into wood.  

Student Representative Council (SRC)

Our SRC have held two meetings so far this year and were busy planning some exciting fundraising events for our school community.

Across the year, the SRC will lead four different events. These include a school disco in Term 1 for our sponsor student in Africa, a Crazy Hair and Sock Day in Term 2 to support Cystic Fibrosis, a Pancake Breakfast in Term 3, and a Summer-themed mufti day with ice cream sandwiches in Term 4.

Two of the SRC events will raise funds for external charities, while the other two will support the SRC in purchasing something meaningful for the school that students can enjoy. We look forward to sharing more details about each event as they approach and thank the SRC for their leadership and initiative in planning these activities for our community.

Congratulations to Mrs De Las Heras and Mrs Dowling – 20 Years of Service

We would like to extend our congratulations to Mrs De Las Heras and Mrs Dowling on reaching the incredible milestone of 20 years of service in public education.

Mrs De Las Heras began her journey at Shellharbour Public School before joining our community here at Jamberoo Public School, where she has continued to make a meaningful contribution to the wellbeing of our students.

Mrs Dowling has dedicated 20 years of service to Jamberoo Public School, supporting generations of students and families within our community.

Twenty years of service is an extraordinary achievement and reflects the dedication, care and commitment both staff members have shown to public education. We thank them for the positive impact they have had on so many students over the years and congratulate them on this wonderful milestone.

International Women’s Day

On Friday, Jamberoo Public School joined schools across the South Illawarra to celebrate International Women’s Day.

The NSW Teachers’ Federation, through the South Illawarra Teachers Association (SITA), organised a wonderful initiative to recognise the contributions and achievements of female members of the Federation, as well as the important gains that the Union has made for women over the years.

To mark the occasion, a celebratory cake was delivered to each of the 24 schools in our Association. Our staff took a moment to come together, enjoy a slice of cake, and acknowledge the many incredible women who contribute to our school and wider education community each day.

NAPLAN

NAPLAN testing will begin this week (week 7) for our Year 3 and Year 5 students. During NAPLAN sessions, our Year 4 and Year 6 students will be supervised separately to ensure appropriate staffing and support across the school. Mrs Peterson and Mrs Reid will be supervising these classes during testing times.

The NAPLAN testing window runs over nine days. This extended window allows schools flexibility to complete the assessments where scheduling or resources may make it difficult to conduct all tests within a shorter timeframe. At Jamberoo Public School, we will be scheduling the tests as early as possible within the window, with priority given to completing them during the first week.

Students are not expected to study or prepare specifically for NAPLAN. The best way to support your child is by reassuring them that NAPLAN is simply a normal part of Year 3 and 5 and encourage them to do their best and to reread the questions and answers if they finish early. Teachers have ensured that students are familiar with the types of questions they may encounter and will provide appropriate guidance and support, where possible throughout the process.

Relieving/Substantive Principal Position

As many of you may know, the appointment process for a substantive principal includes a 10-day appeal period. During this time, I was unable to share the name of the successful candidate with anyone, including staff, until the process was finalised. It was therefore disappointing that information was shared by a parent before we had the opportunity to formally inform our staff and parent body.

Thank you to the many families who have taken the time to email, call or stop me in the playground over the past few weeks to check in. Your kind words and support have meant a great deal to me.

While I am sad that my time as Relieving Principal at Jamberoo Public School will conclude at the end of this term as I return to my permanent position, I feel incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have been part of such a wonderful school community.

Jamberoo is a very special place, and I will take with me many fond memories of the students, families and staff who make this school what it is. Thank you for the support, kindness and partnership you have shown throughout my time here.

I know the school will be in safe hands and I look forward to assisting Mrs Gavin with the handover later this term.

Kind regards,

Katie Louttit

Rel. Principal

On Monday and Tuesday, Finn and Gus represented our school at the Australian Mountain Biking Interschools in Thredbo. Competing against 130 students from 27 different schools, the boys took on three challenging events across two action-packed days.

Despite less-than-ideal weather conditions, Finn and Gus delivered outstanding performances. A highlight was the Flow race, where their combined efforts secured Jamberoo Public School an impressive 4th place overall.

Both boys also qualified for the finals in the pump track event.
Congratulations, Finn and Gus on your achievements! 

A big thank you to Ash, who kicked off our BBB Junior Tradies Club with our Stage 3 boys. In their first session, the boys learned all about plumbing and had the opportunity to explore some practical, hands-on skills.

We’re also excited to share some photos of the toolbox and setup that will be used for this Thursday’s club session.

At Jamberoo Public School, we know that parents and carers are invaluable partners in supporting their child’s learning. Children achieve the greatest success when the same approaches, language and strategies are used both at school and at home.

To support this partnership, we warmly invite all Kindergarten parents and carers to attend a short information session focused on reading in 2026.

During this half-hour session, we will share what reading looks like in our Kindergarten classrooms and explain the approaches and language we use when teaching reading. Families will also be provided with practical tips and simple strategies that can be used at home to support their child’s developing reading skills.

The session will be presented by Mrs Behl-Shanks, Jamberoo’s Assistant Principal – Curriculum and Instruction, and is designed to help families feel confident in supporting their child’s reading journey.

Session times:

• Tuesday 17 March – 8:30am–9:00am (School Library)

• Thursday 19 March – 2:25pm–2:55pm (Sneaky Room, next to the uniform shop)

All Kindergarten parents and carers are warmly invited to attend.

Please RSVP by Thursday 10 March, indicating which session you are able to attend.

We look forward to partnering with you to support your child’s success in reading. 📚

Sharon Behl-Shanks

Jamberoo PS is committed to providing students with a range of sporting opportunities throughout the year. Recently, we have shared several opportunities for our stage 3 students to participate in enrichment activities and representative sporting events. Unfortunately, in some cases we have not received enough expressions of interest from students to register a team. Some of the sports that have been recently offered include: AFL, Rugby League, Basketball and Girls League Tag.

These events are fantastic opportunities for students to develop their skills, challenge themselves, build confidence and enjoy being part of a team. Sport also provides valuable experiences such as meeting new friends, trying something new and stepping outside of our comfort zones.

We strongly encourage families to discuss these opportunities with their children and support them in giving new activities a go. Participation not only helps students grow as athletes but also fosters resilience, teamwork and a positive school spirit.

We look forward to seeing more students embracing these opportunities in the future.

Kind regards,

Mrs Lando

Calling all thinkers, speakers and quick-on-your-feet responders!

Debating training will commence on Thursday mornings at 8:20am in the library, starting Thursday 19 February.

We warmly invite all interested students in Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 to join us — whether you’re an experienced debater ready to sharpen your skills, or simply curious and keen to learn what debating is all about. If you enjoy sharing ideas, thinking creatively and working as part of a team, then debating may be for you!

Please bring:

• A notepad
• A pen
• Your quick thinking
• Your teamwork skills

Let the debating begin!

Birrahlee Students Explore Community and Remembrance Through Art

In our recent history lessons, Birrahlee students have been engaged in a meaningful unit titled, Community and Remembrance. As part of this learning journey, we have been exploring the deep cultural significance of Country to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Our studies began with an examination of our school’s own Acknowledgement of Country. Students delved into the words of the acknowledgement, researching and reflecting on the natural features and elements it mentions. This helped them gain a richer understanding of the connections Indigenous peoples have to the land and the importance of respecting and remembering those connections.

Inspired by this learning, Birrahlee students expressed their understanding through creative artwork. They sketched the natural elements featured in our Acknowledgement of Country, such as Minnamurra’s Cathedral Rocks, our coastline and mountain ranges and combined these sketches with word art. The incorporated words and phrases highlight the respect, unity, and remembrance celebrated in the acknowledgement.

Mrs Kunkler

Music and Dance:

Our class has been enthusiastically engaging with the new Creative Arts syllabus, wonderfully presented by Mrs Behl-Shanks and Mrs McCormack. So far, the students have been exploring the exciting worlds of Rock ‘n’ Roll and Disco through music and dance. It’s been fantastic to see them step out of their comfort zones and surprise themselves by discovering new talents and passions. We look forward to continuing this creative journey together!

Gymnastics:

We continue to love our weekly gymnastics sessions! Students are demonstrating excellent teamwork, encouraging their peers, and pushing themselves physically to reach new goals. This week, they practiced balance as a team, built core strength through forward rolls down mats, and worked on flipping around the bars. Special congratulations to Logan, who achieved the highest level of the day on the bar with a perfect static forward flip!

Mrs Milligan and Mrs Mahoney 

We have had another fantastic few weeks of learning in Nanga Mai. In English, students have been busy writing their own narratives inspired by an animation about a little robot. They have been focusing on creating engaging story beginnings, describing characters, and building exciting events in their stories. It has been wonderful to see their creativity and imagination come through in their writing.

In Mathematics, we have been exploring a range of addition and subtraction strategies. Students have been practising using efficient methods to solve problems and explaining their thinking when working through different strategies.

We have also been really enjoying our PE lessons this term. This week the class had a very competitive and fun game of volleyball, where students showed great teamwork, enthusiasm and sportsmanship.

It has been great to see everyone working hard and supporting each other in their learning.

Mrs Peterson

lllawarra Sports High School will be holding the Year 6 Talented Sport Program Trials on Wednesday March 25th and Wednesday July 29th.

The Trials are open to current Year 6 students seeking selection into the Talented Sports and Development Program at ISHS in year 7 2027.

Conditions of Trialling -

Students MUST be registered in a community club or representative team in the sport they are trialling for.

Students do not have to wear school uniform, they can wear whatever training kit they feel comfortable in.

Water bottle and snack is recommended.

Trial 1: Wednesday March 25th

Illawarra Sports High School

9.00am to 12.00pm

 Trial 2: Wednesday July 29th

 Illawarra Sports High School

9.00am to 12.00pm

Students need – comfortable training kit, shin pads, playing boots AND normal runners, water bottle, snack, any medication required, e.g. puffer.

Parents are not permitted to stay on school grounds to spectate.

Contact the school for more details on sporting criteria and level required.

If wet weather - an alternate venue or date will be emailed to parents.

Final information and online application form will be emailed to parents the week prior to the trials.