The Punchbowl Press

Dear Families, 

As we reach the end of Term 1, I would like to take a moment to reflect on what has been a positive and productive start to the school year. 

It has been wonderful to see our students settle into their classes, build new friendships, and engage enthusiastically in their learning. Across the school, there has been a strong sense of purpose and pride, with students demonstrating teamwork, curiosity, and focus. 

I would like to acknowledge the dedication and professionalism of our staff, who work tirelessly to create supportive and engaging learning environments. We do this so that every student can thrive. 

To our families, thank you for your continued support and partnership. Your involvement plays a vital role in the success and wellbeing of our students, and we greatly value the strong connections within our school community.  This was very clear by the engagement with our Meet the Teacher afternoons and the family survey, ‘What would you like your child’s teacher to know about them?’. 

This term has also seen a range of opportunities beyond the classroom, including extracurricular activities, events, and experiences. We had students participating in Interschool chess competitions, Poetry writing, Visual art and local library incursions, debating gala days and our Year 6 school leaders attended the National Young Leaders conference.  Not to forget our Sport carnivals, Easter Hat Parades and our Launch Day for PBL PAX and Attendance.  It has been inspiring to see so many students getting involved and making the most of these opportunities.  These experiences enrich student learning and strengthen our community spirit. 

As we head into the break, I encourage everyone to take time to rest, recharge, and enjoy time with family and friends. We look forward to welcoming students back for Term 2, on Wednesday 22 April, ready for another exciting term of learning and growth. 

Thank you once again for a fantastic start to the year. 

Warm regards, 

Mrs McGeary 

Principal 

SaCC had a busy and successful Term 1, delivering weekly programs for early learners, school-aged children, and parents. These included Time4Me, a self-care program, and healthy eating sessions in partnership with Go4Fun.

Participation was strong, with 12 women attending Time4Me, 13 families in Go4Fun, and 5 new parents joining Better Beginnings. Our playgroups were also well attended and provided great opportunities for families to connect and learn together.

This term, we celebrated Harmony Day at Riverwood Community Centre and International Women’s Day in Campsie. We also welcomed Catharina, our Speech Therapist, who visited playgroup twice and will continue her involvement in Term 2.

The Go4Fun Holiday Program on 14 and 17 April is now fully booked.

• Triple P
• Tuning into Toddlers (NEW)
• Achieving School Success

For enquiries, please contact Asenati Mareko (SaCC Facilitator) on 0439 487 865.

We look forward to seeing you at SaCC in Term 2

Asenati Mareko

Belonging at Preschool

Our preschool students have had a busy time settling into our school this term - exploring their new environment. Educators and students have been getting to know each other, building relationships, and learning the preschool routine and expectations.

This term our preschool classes all participated in the schools’ gymnastics program, and thoroughly enjoyed themselves, whilst learning and practicing new skills.

Miss Claire has been focusing on introducing and setting up a new compost bin, worm farm, and vegetable garden with help from our students.

To assist in getting to know each other’s cultural background - we plan and acknowledge Lunar New Year, Harmony Day, Eid and Easter celebrations, which our families celebrate. We have also been sharing family photos to display on our “Belonging and Identity Tree”, encouraging students' sense of belonging. 

Early Intervention Unit  

Emus

The Emus have settled well into Term One, making a smooth transition into a structured learning environment. Most of our students are now confidently sitting together to enjoy their lunch. They are following established routines and engaging in activities specifically designed to support the development of their fine motor skills.  

The Emu’s progress is evident, and there are many exciting days ahead. This achievement reflects key outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), particularly in the areas of wellbeing, learning, and social development. Well done on the progress made during Term One! 

Echidnas

The Echidnas have had a wonderful start to the year. We have been focusing on supporting the development of each child’s individual learning skills and encouraging participation in a variety of learning experiences. 

Students have shown great interest in group time, particularly when puppets and props are used to capture their attention, and encourage active participation. These interactive elements have helped foster engagement and communication within the group. 

 We have also been exploring a range of sensory play experiences, including making playdough, creating cloud dough, experimenting with colour mixing, and engaging in hands-on exploration. These activities support the children’s curiosity, creativity, and sensory development while providing meaningful opportunities for learning through play. 

Kindergarten have finished Term 1 with big smiles, brave hearts, and plenty of help from our new mascot, Girty Grit, who has been cheering us on during tricky moments. Together, we’ve been learning what GRIT really looks like in our classroom. According to the students, GRIT means: 

“I can keep trying” - Sanober 

“Never giving up” - Layla  

“Keep trying even if you’re upset or think you can’t do it” - Omar 

“Keep going” - Muhammad Mahad 

“Keep trying and do your best” - Nassir 

We’ve seen so many moments of determination, proud faces, and little celebrations when persistence paid off. With Girty Grit by our side, it’s been a wonderful term of courage and trying again. 

Our Stage 1 students are participating in the ZING Activ Gymnastics Program again this year, and we love it. Our wonderful students are learning how to move their bodies safely while developing strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, and agility. These skills are essential for many other sports. Students are also developing their teamwork skills through partner and group activities. 

Here is what some of our students have to say about the program: 

Lina (2N): “I love learning different moves in gymnastics. It helps you stretch and I’m getting better at balancing.” 

Sreyash (1/2W): "I liked the rock paper scissors game because I was really good at it." 

Noraiz (1C): “I have enjoyed learning to balance and working with partners in different activities.” 

Lyana (2N): “I like gymnastics and doing different activities with my classmates.” 

Zak (2N): “I feel like I’m getting better at running.” 

Isaiah (2N): “It makes me better at other sports and activities. I feel faster.” 

Aya (1C): “I have fun jumping and landing in the motorbike position on the trampoline.” 

Rahaf (1/2W): "I really enjoy doing different types of activities each week." 

Over the past two weeks, we’ve had a fantastic time exploring “beat” in music. The Owls showed great enthusiasm, especially when creating their own beat sequences—there were some very creative rhythms! 

In Mathematics, students continue to bring lots of energy and excitement to their learning. We’ve been enjoying hands-on activities that help deepen understanding and make learning both fun and meaningful. 

Our garden is looking fantastic, and we are eagerly waiting to enjoy the produce it has grown—especially now that Eid has finished. 

As the term continues to fly by, we are all looking forward to a well-earned mid-semester break! 

Mr Shearer & Mrs Xiros 

Stage 2 students have made a fantastic start to the school year, successfully completing their first term with enthusiasm and determination. In Mathematics, they have been developing their problem-solving skills and building confidence in working with numbers, while in English, they have been exploring a range of texts and strengthening their reading and writing abilities. Throughout the term, students have demonstrated a positive attitude towards learning, built strong classroom relationships, and shown great progress across all subject areas. Their hard work, resilience, and willingness to take on new challenges has been wonderful to witness.  

We are very proud of their achievements and look forward to another exciting term ahead. 

Stage 3 students are enthusiastically engaging in the ZING Gymnastics Program, where they develop essential locomotive and locomotion skills such as running, jumping, and balancing. Through dynamic activities, they enhance their coordination and body awareness while also participating in partnered exercises that promote teamwork, trust, and cooperation. This program supports their physical development in a fun and supportive environment, fostering confidence and healthy movement habits. 

Cyber Safety Awareness 

Stage 3 students have strengthened their understanding of safe online behaviour. 

Key messages that were reinforced include: 

Think before you send: Everything you do on the internet leaves a digital footprint that can be tracked. Even if they try to delete it, it is always somewhere on the internet. 

“Never post photos of people without their permission.” Fatima 6S 

Free offers are never free: There’s always a cost, which might be your personal information. 

“A boy thought he was getting free ringtones from a website he clicked on. Later he found out his parents were paying $10 a week, the ring tones were not free.” Gray 6S 

Protect your password: Never share it with anyone, except your parents or carer. 

“Never share your password because someone can pretend to be you and do bad things using your personal information.” Rayyan 5S 

Parents, to help you understand the risks of using apps and the internet, please visit the eSafety website. It offers trustworthy information in many different community languages. We encourage you to talk to your child about eSafety using the resources on the website. 

Please note that new laws about app usage started on December 10 last year. These laws set the minimum age for using popular apps at 16 years and older. 

Useful links: 

eSafety Guide: https://www.esafety.gov.au/key-topics/esafety-guide 

Information for parents: https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents 

Information in several community languages: https://www.esafety.gov.au/communities/cultural-linguistic/translations

In Community Language, we make sure all lessons are valuable and engaging, supporting your child’s learning while also building important skills used across the whole school. Teachers use a step-by-step approach where they first show students how to do something, then practise it together as a class, and finally encourage students to try it on their own. This strategy is called the ‘Gradual Release of Responsibility’. For example, when learning new Arabic words, the teacher models how to say and use them, students practise together through fun activities and then apply their learning independently. This approach helps children grow in confidence, become more independent learners, and develop strong thinking skills. Arabic lessons also include plenty of practice and support along the way, ensuring every student feels successful and included. 

Please take a moment to look at the photos below and celebrate your child’s learning with a positive comment. 

Warrami 

It has been a very busy term with students in Genius Hour participating in a range of community initiatives and competitions that are important aspects of our identity as Australians. ANZAC Day is an important recognition of the service men and women that have risked their lives to keep the place we live in safe. As a nation we come together on the 25th of April to acknowledge these brave people's sacrifices.

The students at Punchbowl Public School have been very fortunate to have ANZAC soldiers attend important assemblies at school. The students have built a strong bond and respect for our ANZAC Veteran friends. Mr Woodley and his colleagues are looking forward to coming again to commemorate ANZAC Day. He always reflects on the love and respect he gets from our students. Watch this space for more details about the assembly. We welcome all families and community members to join us at this assembly.  

To extend our students understanding about how we connect to our communities the ANZAC Day Committee Team have embarked on submitting our students’ artworks in ANZACs School Initiatives 2026 competition.  

Through the Genius Hour program, students have been working very hard on their submission pieces about ANZACs. Wishing all our students the best of luck and every success in their efforts. The student pieces are exceptional - it will be challenging for the judges to decide on a winner. 

Yanu 

Mrs Yasin 

Interschool Chess Competition 

Eleven students from Years 4-6 attended the Interschool Chess Competition run by Sydney Academy of Chess at their Burwood headquarters on Thursday 26 March. Representing our school were: Kazi, Yamen, Benji, Qasim and Jasper from Year 6; Lam, Sufiyaan and Royan from Year 5; and Zaid & Charlie from Year 4. 

Over 100 students competed from more than a dozen schools. Every participant played seven games, creating individual scores out of a maximum of seven points. The team score is calculated by adding the four highest individual scores for your school. 

All our players got at least three-and-a-half points out of seven, with five boys getting five points. Here are some quotes that tell the story of the day:  

Kazi: “We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve secured a place in the semi-finals! After hours of intense focus and sweaty games, our hard work gave us a place in the semi-finals." 

Lam: “It was tough, but I agree with Kazi. There were nail-biting games but also easy ones. Still, we were able to get second place in the tournament!” 

Sufiyaan: “We all went through ups and downs. But in the end, we had a great time. This is the first time that we have ever made it to the semi-finals.” 

Charlie: “Our team of 11 players co-operated to get a whopping 20 points! We had amazing wins and made brilliant moves. We had altered our school history! We’ve never made it, until NOW!” 

Congratulations to the team for their historic success, and thanks to Punchbowl Boys High School who lent their minibus for the day. The semi-finals are likely to be in Term 3. 

Mr Potten and Mrs Matthews