Dear JPS Community,

Week 8 has flown by and we are now heading into the final nine days of Term 1. The last day for students this term is Thursday, 2 April, as Friday is Good Friday. Students will return for Term 2 on Wednesday, 22 April.

Congratulations to Logan and Zavier on their acceptance into the Year 5 High Potential and Academically Gifted (HPGE) EXTEND program for 2026. This enrichment program will be hosted at Kiama Public School and will run each Tuesday from Week 2, Term 2 through to Week 7, Term 4.

A huge effort from Bryce, Maeve, Zahli and Leo, who have been accepted into the Year 6 HPGE class held at Kiama High School on Wednesdays in Terms 2 and 3. Typically, only two students from Jamberoo are selected for this program. However, due to their outstanding achievement in assessments including PAT, Check-In and NAPLAN, along with the online component marked by Mr Pride, we have had four students successfully gain a place this year. This is an exceptional result and a reflection of their hard work and commitment to learning.

This opportunity is part of a Kiama Community of Schools initiative, unique to our local context and fully funded by the school, providing students with access to high-quality extension and enrichment experiences.

The next P&C meeting will be held on Wednesday 25 March at 7:00pm at Jamberoo Bowling Club. P&C meetings are a great opportunity for parents and carers to hear about what’s happening at the school, share ideas and be involved in supporting our students and community. All families are welcome to attend and we would love to see some new faces.

Over the next two weeks, we will be holding our Three-Way Conferences for students in Years 1–6, along with Parent–Teacher Interviews for our Kindergarten families. These conferences provide a valuable opportunity for students, parents and teachers to come together to discuss learning progress, celebrate achievements and set future goals. Students play an active role in these conversations, sharing their learning and reflecting on their growth, while Kindergarten interviews focus on building a strong home–school partnership and discussing each child’s progress and next steps.

Please note that there will be no supervision available on the school grounds during this time. Children must remain within your line of sight at all times. Mrs Galea will set up a small station at the back of her room if students do not have alternative supervision. We appreciate your support in ensuring a safe and respectful environment for all families.

Join us for our annual Jamberoo Public School Easter Hat Parade on Thursday 1 April at 2:20pm. Students are invited to create their Easter hats at home and bring them to school on the morning of the event, ready to parade in front of our school community. This much-loved tradition is always a highlight on our calendar. We look forward to seeing families join us for this fun and festive afternoon as our students proudly display their wonderful creations. Siblings are welcome to join in the parade.

Kind regards,

Katie Louttit

This week, we are thrilled to celebrate the outstanding achievements of three of our talented swimmers, Sadie, Olivia, and Maeve. These ladies proudly represented the Tongarra region at the Regional Swimming Carnival on Tuesday.Sadie delivered an exceptional performance in the pool, securing first place in the 50m freestyle and an impressive third place in the 200m individual medley. Her dedication and determination have earned her a well-deserved place at the state carnival, where she will compete in both events.Not to be outdone by her younger sibling, Maeve also showcased her skills and perseverance. She achieved second place in both the 50m breaststroke and the 50m freestyle, earning her progression to the state level in both events. This is a fantastic accomplishment and a testament to her hard work.Olivia also represented our school with pride, swimming a strong and determined race in her freestyle event. Her effort and commitment were commendable, and we are very proud of her performance.We congratulate all three swimmers on their achievements and wish Sadie and Maeve the very best as they prepare to compete at the state carnival. Go team!

Mrs Behl-Shanks

On Friday 20th, 12 determined boys from Years 3–6 represented Jamberoo Public School in their first game of the PSSA Soccer Knockout Tournament against Hayes Park Public School. The team displayed great effort, teamwork and sportsmanship, giving their all from start to finish. Although the result didn’t go our way, the boys should be incredibly proud of their performance and the way they represented our school. A special mention goes to our Player of the Match and goalkeeper, Bailey, for his outstanding saves throughout the game. Thank you to our parents and carers for your ongoing support and allowing the boys to participate in such a valuable and enjoyable experience.

Mrs Lando 

Harmony Day is a special opportunity for us to celebrate Australia’s rich cultural diversity and reinforce an important message for our students: everyone belongs. The day is represented by the colour orange, symbolising social communication, respect and inclusivity, values that strongly align with our school community.

This year, students participated in a series of engaging cultural rotations, where they explored different countries and traditions through hands-on activities. Students rotated through a variety of experiences including Japanese Koinobori fish art, Chinese dragon and lantern creations, Italian Venetian mask design, Indian Rangoli symmetry, Indonesian batik-inspired patterns and First Nations johnny cakes here in Australia. These activities encouraged curiosity and creativity, while building an appreciation of culture, identity and belonging.

Harmony Day continues to be an important celebration at our school, reminding us all of the value of inclusion, understanding and celebrating the diversity that makes our community so strong.

Mrs Lando has put together the photos from today’s activities. Thank you, Mrs Lando.

Mrs Galea

A big thank you to our incredible team who supported the SRC Disco fundraiser, Mrs Behl-Shanks, Mrs Galea, Mrs Peterson, Mrs McCormack and Mr Reed. The afternoon was a fantastic time for our students, filled with laughter, energy and excitement from start to finish. It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces, enthusiastic participation in the games and competitions, and a great sense of inclusion across all year levels, all while raising funds to support future SRC initiatives.

Students enjoyed dressing up, dancing with their friends and showing off their creativity, with a wide range of fun and imaginative costumes on display. We saw Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Michael Jackson, Steve Irwin, a police officer and many more, with some students fully committing to their characters. Our Michael Jackson, in particular, stayed in character all night, only performing MJ moves on the dance floor!

A special thank you to Mrs Behl-Shanks for keeping the students engaged and entertained on the microphone, and to all staff who danced, supported students, served food and drinks and brought such positive energy throughout the evening.

We will announce the total fundraised early next week. Some of the funds raised will go to our sponsor child for schooling fees for the year, and the rest will go towards new sports equipment. We will keep you updated! 

Ms Louttit

Unfortunately, we have not had enough students attending choir in order to participate in SIMF this year. Although 22 students initially signed up, we had 14 students two weeks ago and 16 students this week at choir. The other students have come and seen me to tell me they have changed their mind. 16 students is, unfortunately, just not enough to form a school choir that will perform in front of all the other schools and the audience at SIMF.

However, what we CAN do is continue to have a school choir, and do some performances at school. Students who enjoy choir can continue to come on Monday mornings and we can plan some performances a couple of times in the year to be done at Friday assemblies.

Since we will no longer participate in SIMF, that takes some of the pressure off, in terms of the number of songs we need to learn. I am proposing that students who would like to continue to be part of choir need to arrive at 8:30 am on Mondays and come to Walabi classroom for the half hour before school only (instead of coming to school early, at 8:15).

If your child no longer wishes to be part of the school choir, which I totally understand, would you please send an email to the school to let me know. Alternatively, your child can tell me in person.

Otherwise, I hope we can continue working on some beautiful choir songs and your child can continue to build his/her singing voice.

Parents who have already paid the SIMF participation fee will have it refunded or get credit from the school office.

Mrs Doorn-McCormack

Parents and carers, are you interested in attending an informative session about our wellbeing program, Grow Your Mind? We would like to hold one in Term 2 to spread the word. We would also like you to give us some input as to what you would like to hear about from our fabulous Jamberoo friend and Grow Your Mind creator, Alice Peel. Thanks for any suggestions you might have. Please use the link attached - Mrs McCormack.

Grow your Mind Parent Session - Term 2

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!

This term, our class has absolutely loved participating in gymnastics! Each week, students have shown enthusiasm, courage, and teamwork as they tackled a variety of fun and challenging activities. This week in particular, students worked collaboratively to move a ball as a team, swung on the bars to score points using beanbags, practiced falling backwards safely, and explored creative movements through “Spiderman/Spiderwoman” shape shifting. It has been wonderful to see their confidence and coordination grow. In English, students have been working incredibly hard to write a persuasive text about their chosen hero. They have put a lot of effort into developing strong arguments and using persuasive language. This piece will be used as an assessment across the school, and we are very proud of the dedication they have shown. In Mathematics, students have been enjoying hands-on learning by measuring distances using trundle wheels. This has been a fun and practical way to explore measurement and apply their skills in a real-world context. In History, we have been researching animals that were introduced to Australia and examining how they have impacted the environment. Students have been engaged in thoughtful discussions about the effects these animals have had on native ecosystems. In Music, students had a fantastic time learning how to play a 12-bar blues on the xylophone. They enjoyed experimenting with rhythm and melody while building their confidence in playing an instrument.

Mrs Peterson

Cooinda has been buzzing with activity over the past two weeks! In English, we wrapped up our narrative writing unit by creating pocket booklets featuring our own unique characters. The students showed great creativity and imagination as they brought their characters to life, and it was wonderful to see everyone’s hard work and stories shared with the class.In Maths, we have started exploring the concepts of measurement and length. The students are loving the hands-on experience of using tools to measure boundaries, edges, and straight lines around the classroom and school. We have also been practicing conversions between different units of measurement, and it’s been fantastic to see the students develop their skills and confidence as they work together. Tuesdays are always a highlight for Cooinda, with music and gymnastics sessions. Music with Mrs McCormack has been a hit, as we learn all about HIP HOP—this week, some students even explored RAP as part of their group performance. Everyone had a chance to express themselves and have fun through music. In dance, we incorporated some of our new HIP HOP moves, leading to energetic and creative routines. Overall, it’s been a fantastic couple of weeks of learning, creativity, and teamwork in Cooinda. We are so proud of how much our students have achieved and we can’t wait to see what they do next!

Mrs Milligan and Mrs Mahoney

This week in gymnastics, Birrahlee students enthusiastically explored the fundamentals of swing and spring. Through a series of engaging and well-structured activities, students worked on developing momentum, power, and refined technique.

Key to their success was the effective use of body shapes such as hollow and arch, which helped improve efficiency in their movements. Coaches emphasised the importance of engaging core muscles, a skill that proved essential for mastering rotations and achieving maximum points.

The progress made by Birrahlee students was impressive—not only in their physical skills but also in their ability to listen carefully and follow the coaches’ instructions. This combination of effort, focus, and teamwork truly highlights the positive learning environment fostered within the gymnastics program.

Well done to all students for their dedication and growth, and thanks to our coaches for their expert guidance.

Mrs Kunkler

Thank You for a Fantastic Garden Working Bee! We’re thrilled to share the success of our first working bee of the year held over the weekend to rejuvenate the school garden. A huge thank you to all the parents who dedicated their time and energy to support this wonderful project. Thanks to your efforts, we now have seven new garden beds, a freshly weeded garden, and the blackberry bush has been trimmed right back. A special mention goes to Ben Stewart and his family for their invaluable guidance, countless volunteering hours, and for generously providing tools and equipment that made the project possible. Your support truly makes a difference - thankyou, Jamberoo!

Mrs Mahoney

This week in the garden, we planted broad beans saved from last year’s harvest, and the students celebrated St Patrick’s Day by planting sweet peas. We’re excited to see our lettuce seedlings beginning to sprout, and we’re still harvesting delicious tomatoes from our thriving plants. Thank you to everyone for your enthusiasm and hard work—it’s wonderful to see the garden flourishing!

Mrs Mahoney

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.