Dear JPS Families,

We are anticipating a cold and wet start to the week. Please ensure students have wet weather gear and a school jumper/jacket. 

Thank You for Celebrating Education Week

A huge thank you to our wonderful parent community for helping us celebrate this year’s Ignite Your Potential theme. On Wednesday, we were inspired by parents who shared their skills and knowledge through our Ignite Talks. On Thursday, we welcomed many families to open classrooms and a picnic lunch, where students proudly shared their art, music, science, STEM and figurative language learning. Your involvement made this celebration of curiosity, creativity and connection truly special.

Year 1 Phonics Screening Check

Over the coming weeks (11–29 August), all Year 1 students will take part in the Phonics Screening Check. This short, one-on-one assessment helps teachers gauge how students are progressing with their phonics skills - an essential building block of reading. The check is a valuable tool that complements the ways we already monitor literacy development, helping teachers tailor support to each student’s needs. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Years 3-6 Check-in Assessments

Students in Years 3 to 6 will participate in the Check-in Assessments during Weeks 6 to 10 of this term. These online assessments focus on reading and numeracy for Years 3 to 6, with an additional writing assessment for Year 6 students. The results help us monitor student progress and adjust teaching programs to best support learning. If you have any questions about the assessments, please contact the school.

Trivia Night – P&C

Lock in your seat or table using the link below under the P&C banner. The Trivia Night promises an evening of laughter and friendly competition with lots of prizes to be won. It is the perfect chance for families to mingle and share a few laughs while helping raise funds for our school at the same time.

Kind regards,

Katie Louttit

Relieving Principal

Last Thursday and Thursday night, a small but talented group of students represented our school at a Creative Arts event held at Kiama High School, celebrating the artistic talents of local schools. We proudly took a group of performers from our upcoming school production to showcase their acting and dancing skills. Despite a few students being unwell, the remaining team made impressive last-minute changes to the script and delivered a performance that truly shone. A special shout-out goes to Mrs Behl-Shanks, who, although very unwell in bed, still managed to direct our actors from afar! Huge thanks to Mrs Peterson and Mrs Gallea for their support on the day, and to our wonderful parents who helped with transport to and from rehearsals and the performance. It was an amazing experience for everyone involved! Make sure you keep an eye out for the dates and tickets for the full version of our production, which will be presented near the end of this term — we can’t wait to show you the amazing talent we have here at JPS!

Mrs Green

Thank You to Our Wonderful Parents

A huge thank you to all the parents who came in on Wednesday during Education Week. 

A special shout-out to:

• Wombarra – Kindergarten

  Deanne – Thank you for sharing your scrapbooking skills with our students. Your creativity inspired everyone.

  Ben  – Kindergarten loved your engaging composting session. The students were fascinated by what goes on beneath the soil.

• Birrahlee – Year 1

  Jen – Thank you for leading a fun and hands-on craft activity. The students had a fantastic time.

• Nanga Mai – Year 2/3

  Ebony – Thank you for your engaging talk about cows and dairy farming, and for introducing the students to Clover, the two-week-old calf. This was an unforgettable experience.

  Lyntton  – Thank you for visiting Nanga Mai and sharing your experience as a pilot and your military background. The students were captivated.

• Walabi – Year 3/4

  Michaela  – Your wire beaded tree craft lesson was both creative and calming. The results were beautiful. Mrs McCormack was so inspired she went out and bought the beads and wire to create the same tree with her nieces over the weekend. 

• Cooinda – Year 5

  Tanika  – Thank you for leading the clay sculpting activity. The students loved expressing themselves through art.

• Cooinda – Year 6

  Lyntton – Your talk on aviation and the military was incredibly inspiring and had our Year 6 students completely engaged.

Thank you for making Education Week so memorable. We look forward to more opportunities for our parents to share their skills and passion with JPS. 

In celebration of Education Week and the theme "Ignite Your Potential", students at Jamberoo PS participated in engaging, hands-on learning experiences that fostered creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Kindergarten tested design skills in a STEM foil boat challenge-with one boat holding 55 teddy counters (Maddie and Costa). Year 1 launched balloon rockets, Year 2/3 created portraits with descriptive language, Year 3/4 explored rhythm and culture through African drumming, and Year 5/6 experimented with figurative language and persuasive writing.

Families joined us for a picnic lunch and games on the field, rounding out a week that showcased student engagement and potential across all stages.

We are delighted to invite all grandparents and grand friends to join us for Grandparents’ Day at Jamberoo Public School — a special morning dedicated to celebrating the cherished role grandparents play in our children's lives.

The morning will begin with a morning tea at 9:30am, where families can reconnect and enjoy some light refreshments. From 9:45am, our students will take the stage to share performances filled with heart and joy — a true highlight of the day!

Following the performances, families are welcome to step inside the classrooms for a closer look at student learning during our classroom visits from 10:10am. Grandparents will have the opportunity to see students in their learning spaces, share a story, and admire the work they’ve been doing.

To wrap up the morning, our Book Fair will be open from 10:40–11:00am, giving grandparents the chance to help their grandchildren pick out a book or two — the perfect keepsake from a memorable day.

We can’t wait to welcome you to our school community and share this heartwarming celebration together.

In Term 4, our Year 5 and 6 students will have the exciting opportunity to attend an educational tour of Canberra, our national capital. During the excursion, students will take part in a range of engaging and informative programs designed to deepen their understanding of Australia’s history, culture, heritage, and democracy.

To support families with the cost of this valuable experience, our school will receive funding from the Australian Government through the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER) program. This funding provides a rebate of $30.00 per student, which is paid directly to the school after the excursion has taken place.

We look forward to providing students with this memorable and enriching learning experience. Further details about the tour, including itinerary will be shared soon.

Kindergarten – Igniting Our Potential!

This week, Kindergarten celebrated Education Week with the inspiring theme "Ignite Your Potential." We were lucky to welcome two special parent visitors who shared their own talents/passions with us.

Poppy’s mum, Deanne, visited and introduced us to the creative world of scrapbooking. She shared some of her beautiful albums and the students loved having a go at making their own scrapbook-style photo frame. There was lots of cutting, gluing, glitter and decorating.

Then Audrey’s dad, Ben, came in to talk about his passion for composting. The students were fascinated to learn how food scraps can be turned into rich soil to help plants grow. They asked great questions and were excited to see composting in action.

We’d like to say a big thank you to the parents who generously gave their time to come and share their passions, you helped spark curiosity and excitement in our learners!

We also welcomed families into our classroom for a fun STEM challenge. Parents and students worked together to design and build a boat that could float and carry little plastic teddy bears! It was wonderful to see so much collaboration, creativity and problem-solving happening.

In mathematics, we’ve been exploring patterns and Kindergarten have impressed us by identifying and describing some very tricky ones. I am so proud of their growing confidence and thinking skills.

Thank you to all the families who joined us this week to celebrate learning!

Birrahlee have been enjoying their Dharawal language lessons with Tyrell and Dylan. So far we have learnt the words for head, shoulders, knees, toes, eyes, ears, mouth and nose as well as the word for and. This week, we talked about and drew family trees. We learnt the Dharawal words for family tree, grandmother, grandfather, mother, father, auntie, uncle, brother, sister, cousin and myself.

We’ve had a fantastic start to Term 3! Our class has kicked off the Dharawal language program with great enthusiasm. Students have been learning the words for body parts and exploring family words in Dharawal. It’s been wonderful to see their pride in connecting with language and culture.

Last week, we had an exciting visit from Kiama Oz Tag, who ran a fun-filled clinic. Students had a blast learning new skills, playing games and showing off their speed and teamwork.

This week, as part of Education Week, we were lucky to have Ivy’s mum and Arwen’s dad visit our classroom to share their skills and passions. Students were captivated by their presentations and loved the opportunity to learn from members of our school community.

It’s been a busy and fun start to the term!

In Term 2, students from Years 3 to 6 took part in the NSW Student Survey. The survey asked questions about how they feel at school, what helps them learn, and how supported they are. Here’s what our students shared:

• High levels of belonging and connection – 95% of students feel they belong. Students feel proud to be part of Jamberoo PS and connected to our school community.
• Strong teacher expectations and support – 94% feel pushed to do their best. Students know their teachers want them to do their best and support them to get there.

• A good friend at school - 92% said they have a good friend at school. Strong friendships are a foundation of our inclusive culture.

• Positive relationships with staff – 92% have a supportive adult at school. Students feel cared for and supported by staff.
• Safe, respectful culture with less bullying and discrimination – Fewer students experience bullying compared to both the SSSG and NSW primary school averages, and reports of discrimination are half the state average.

• Clear expectations and routines – 80% understand exactly what is expected in their learning. Clear rules and routines help students feel secure.

  🔍 3 Areas We’re Working On
• Increasing student voice – helping all students feel their opinions matter and students have voice and choice on what they are learning.
• Supporting Year 5/6 students more in their transition to high school. This result will hopefully improve with the upcoming transition programs to high school.
• Providing more specific and helpful feedback to guide learning.

A big thank you goes to our Years 3 to 6 group this week, for all their help in the garden! We dug up our dahlia tubers and planted pumpkin, golden beetroot and silver beet seedlings. We are going to replant our dahlia tubers in the spring. They have multiplied so much over the few years we have had them. We can now separate them out and spread them out around the fence line where they can be supported by the fence. Students went home with spinach, lemons, flowers and parsley.

Mrs McCormack

Get ready for a magical week filled with stories, costumes, laughter and a celebration of reading!

Book Week 2025 is just around the corner, and we have an exciting lineup of events planned for our students, families, and community. From our colourful Book Parade to our heartwarming Grandparents’ Day, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. And don’t forget to visit our Book Fair, packed with books to inspire every reader!

Monday 25 August

The Book Fair will open for student viewing only during the school day. Students will get a chance to browse the books and start planning their wish lists!

Tuesday 26 August

The Book Fair is open to families from 8:30–9:00am and again in the afternoon from 3:00–3:30pm. Come along and discover a new favourite story.

Wednesday 27 August

A day full of excitement! Our Secret Teacher Swap where a surprise teacher swaps classes to share a story and an activity and our beloved Book Parade will run from 12:10–12:50pm. The Book Fair will be open 8:30–9:00am, after the parade, and again from 3:00–3:30pm.

Thursday 28 August

We welcome our grand friends and grandparents for Grandparents’ Day! Join us for a beautiful morning together, and visit the Book Fair before school (8:30–9:00am), after the event, and again from 3:00–3:30pm.

Friday 29 August

Our final day of Book Week! The Book Fair will be open from 8:30–9:00am and 3:00–3:30pm. It’s your last chance to grab a book or two before it wraps up for another year.

📖✨ Let’s come together to celebrate curiosity, creativity and the joy of reading. We can’t wait to see your amazing costumes, welcome our wonderful grandparents and share in the excitement of Book Week 2025!

Get Ready for Our 2025 Book Week Dress-Up Parade! 

Book Week is just around the corner, and it’s time to get creative — our much-loved JPS Book Week Dress-Up Parade is happening on Wednesday Week 6! This year’s exciting theme is “Book an Adventure!” — a celebration of bold journeys, mysterious maps, magical worlds, and unforgettable characters who take us places we've never been before. Whether the adventure happens by sea, sky, forest, or bookshelf, students are invited to come dressed as a character from their favourite book! 2025 is also a milestone year for us as we celebrate 80 years of Children’s Book Week! For 8 decades, CBCA has been dedicated to inspiring young minds to journey through the countless worlds that books offer. 

Costume Ideas to Inspire Adventurers: Here are some bookish adventure-themed costume ideas if you're stuck!

Nature & Animal Explorers:

Bluey or Bingo (Bluey by Joe Brumm)

• Fern Arable (Charlotte’s Web)
• Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon
• Sam or Frightening Falcon from My Side of the Mountain
• Slinky Malinki (series Picture books)

Fantasy & Magical Journeys:

• Harry Potter, Hermione, or Hagrid from Harry Potter
• Lucy Pevensie from The Chronicles of Narnia
• Percy Jackson from Camp Half-Blood
• Matilda with her magical books

Real-World Travelers:

• Alfie or his mum from Are We There Yet? by Alison Lester
• The family from We Live in a Bus (a 2025 CBCA Shortlist title!)
• Phileas Fogg from Around the World in 80 Days
• Tintin the reporter adventurer

Sci-fi & Space Explorers:

• Rocket from Look Up!
• The Little Prince
• An astronaut from any space book (like Mousetronaut, Astro Girl, or There's No Place Like Space!)

Mystery Solvers & Secret Agents:

• Harriet the Spy
• Detective Dog Nell
• Agents from the Secret Agent Mole series

Ocean, Pirate, & Underwater Adventurers:

• Moana (for her sea journey)
• Captain Hook or Peter Pan
• The Rainbow Fish
• Pippi Longstocking (who sailed the seas!)

Just to name a few!

No need to buy anything fancy! Use what you have at home — hats, scarves, capes, backpacks, or face paint can work wonders. Please ensure costumes are comfortable and school-appropriate and please NO COSTUME WEAPONS.

We can't wait to see your wild, wonderful and imaginative outfits — let’s all Book an Adventure together and make this Book Week one to remember! Happy reading and dressing up!

Mrs Green