Drummoyne Public School

Dear Drummoyne PS Community,

This week, our students in Years 3 and 5 commenced their NAPLAN assessments. On Wednesday, all students successfully completed the writing assessment and Year 3 students also completed their reading assessment on Thursday. We are incredibly proud of the way our students approached these assessments with focus and determination.

A big thank you to our Stage 2 and 3 teachers for their exemplary organisation, ensuring a smooth and supportive testing environment. A special mention to our families as well—we appreciate your efforts in getting students to school on time, well-rested and ready to give their best. Your support makes a real difference!

The assessments will continue next week with Year 5 reading, Year 3 & 5 language conventions and numeracy assessments. 

Today, some of our families will be celebrating Holi, the vibrant Festival of Colours. To all those in our school community celebrating, we wish you a happy Holi filled with laughter, love and plenty of colour!

Regards,

John Nguyen​

Principal

E: john.nguyen34@det.n​sw.edu.au 

Harmony Day is the celebration that recognises our diversity and brings together Australians from all different backgrounds. Harmony Day is about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone.

Our school is celebrating Harmony Day on Friday, 21 March with a whole school assembly at 12.15pm, straight after lunch. Parents are invited. After the assembly, students will go back to their classrooms to participate in some fun activities that recognise the students at our school from over 40 different cultural backgrounds. 

On Friday, 21 March, students can show their support, by either wearing something orange or they can wear the national dress reflecting their cultural background. Sports jerseys representing a country are permitted however, no jerseys representing just a team, please. Hope to see you at the assembly.

Michelle O'Dowd

Assistant Principal - on behalf of the DPS Community Language Teachers

Once again Drummoyne Public School will be entering one junior and one senior student into the NSW Premier's Spelling Bee Regional Finals.

We have a proud record of our students spelling their way to outstanding results in the Regionals, with every student selected achieving a top ten place, including two second places in consecutive years. 2017 and 2019 saw DPS represented at the NSW Premier's Spelling Bee State Final, held at the ABC Television Studios, in which Adrian and Darius finished in the top five, respectively.

Will 2025 be the year of another state finalist?

Look out for further details on how to enter, at the beginning of Term 2. In the meantime, you can start practicing by getting your hands on the official 2025 NSW Premier's Spelling Bee word list at: https://artsunit.nsw.edu.au/program/nsw-premiers-spelling-bee#word-lists

The password can be obtained from the School Office, students' classrooms or from Mr Sutton. Please direct all enquiries to Mr Sutton.

NSW Premier's Spelling Bee School Coordinator

A special mention goes to our Senior Boys Relay team,  (Adem Y, James W, Jake L and Will H) who came 5th in their event and Olivia D who came second in her three events. A fantastic effort!

Leah Pegler

Sports Coordinator

This week Lachlan S & Owen C competed as part of the PSSA Western Suburbs AFL team. They played several games, had lots of fun and proudly represented DPS. Well done boys for being selected for the team. 

https://scholastic.com.au/book-club/book-club-parents/issue-preview/

Please order via the Scholastic Book Club LOOP. Instructions are attached below.

Closing date is Friday 28 March.

Attention Stage 3 Students!

Are you ready to be a Game Changer?

We’re inviting interested Stage 3 students to sign up to the 2025 Game Changer Challenge! This year’s Wicked Problem is: "Ensure sustainable futures for all." Sustainability is about balance—protecting our Planet, empowering our People, and caring for the Places we live, learn, and grow.

In this challenge, you’ll research, collaborate, and design bold, innovative ideas to create a more sustainable future. From reducing waste to rethinking resource use and building stronger communities, your ideas could make a real-world impact! If you’re creative, a problem solver, and ready for a challenge, check out the Department's official web page for information about the challenge: Game Changer Challenge Information

Sign up by joining the using the code: vcgg2kmor via this link: Game Changer Challenge '25 Google Classroom

or see Mr Sutton for more information.The deadline for signing up is Wednesday, 19th March (week 8). Details of the first meeting will be published on the Google Classroom page on Thursday, 20th March (week 8).

Let’s change the game for a better tomorrow!

Ewan Sutton

GCC2025 Coordinator

From 24 February to 21 March 2025 Transport for NSW will be focusing on school student Opal tap data to help plan better bus services. It’s vital that your child remembers to tap on and tap off their Student or Child/Youth Opal card during this time – and every time they travel by bus.   

Why is tapping on and off on the bus important? The use of Opal cards is the primary way bus operators and Transport for NSW analyse demand for bus services. When students don’t use their Opal cards, their trip is not recorded. Therefore, buses may appear underutilised. Tapping on and off provides better data to plan better bus services.

How can you help? Please remind your child to tap on and off and ensure your child has a valid Opal card (either a School or Child/Youth Opal card) and remind them to tap on and tap off on every trip.

To apply for a school Opal card, visit https://transportnsw.info/school-travel-apply.  Students may see onboard bus posters and Busways Community Relation Officers at afternoon loadings.  Together let’s get students into good habits of tapping on and tapping off with their Opal card. 

Next Tuesday evening will be an extra special P&C meeting where we will discuss the fete planning, some big value grants we’re chasing, and of course the voting in of a new P&C executive and support positions for 2025.

• VP canteen
• Secretary 
• President 
• 2 x fundraising assistants 
• Fete support roles
• Second hand uniform coordinator 
• Election BBQ coordinator 
• Fete Social media coordinator 

This P&C likes to have fun, respects that everyone is busy, and aims to make our school a stronger community and a better place.

We hope to see you at 7.30pm in the library, Tuesday 18th march. (Ends promptly at 9pm)

Angela Farrell

P&C President

Vice President (Canteen) Role

If you'd like to have a say in how our school canteen runs, consider taking on the role of Vice President in charge of canteen. As the contact person for our two paid canteen staff members, you will bring canteen feedback and ideas on menu and pricing to the P&C meetings, and report on the canteen budget with the help of our Treasurer. The P&C would like to invite anyone interested in being in charge of canteen to come and have a chat! Dee Elalingam has held the role for three years and wishes to step back. The role can be done remotely, you are not required to be in the actual canteen.

Secretary Role

If you're organised, would like to contribute to the school but are not available in working hours, this role is a great way to be involved in P&C! Run our monthly meetings, take minutes, distribute notes and follow up action items each month. Tim Counter has held the role for three years and wishes to step back. 

For anyone who has been wondering what roles are available and what is involved, please click the below attachment to read. Any more questions? Please get in touch with:

• Tim at secretary@drummoynepublicschool.com.au or
• Angela at  president@drummoynepublicschool.com.au

P&C Committee

From Term 1 the uniform shop will be open for face to face sales on Monday mornings from 9am - 10am.

We are currently out of stock of size 8 & 10 short sleeve polos, stock is due to come in first week of March :)

All uniform shop orders are now to be placed on Flexischools.

If you need to contact the uniform shop volunteers please email:

Thank you also to our student volunteers Sienna, Imogen, Attie, Emily, Chloe, Evie, Ellie, Lola and Nene.

The canteen has a new staff member, Tayla, working on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. We really need and appreciate a volunteer to help from 10:15am-11:15am Mondays to assist in the packaging of the lunch items. Monday can get pretty busy with the nuggets and when you are new it can be quite stressful. Some support from the school community would be awesome!

We have had some students coming to the canteen with large denominations of money. Please ensure small denomination eg. Gold coin, $5. It makes difficult to give change.

Hamburgers

Next Tuesday, 18th March, we will be trialing Hamburgers. The patties are homemade and the recipe from Anna-Maria who has worked in the canteen and has a granddaughter attending the school.

The patties were made in the canteen . They will be served on a bread roll with lettuce. INGREDIENTS: beef mince, eggs, breadcrumbs, parmesan, salt, pepper and garlic. NOTE: Sausage rolls, pies and pizza wraps will be available Wednesdays only.

• OPTIONS: Cheese. $0.50                    
• Sauce $0.25

Banana Ice Cream: frozen banana, vanilla and honey. Blended together to a creamy consistency and frozen in 100ml cups.COST: $1.00

MARCH: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Monday 17th…..10:15am-11:15am…….1

Thursday 20th….9:30am-10:30am…….1.         10:30am-11:30am……….1

Friday 21st ……..9:30am-10:30am…….1.         10:30am-11:30am……….2  

Monday 24th…...10:15am-11:15am…….1

Thursday 27th….. 9:30am-10:30am…….1.         10:30am-11:30am……….1

Friday 28th……...9:30am-10:30am…….1.         10:30am-11:30am……….2

Please register. We really do appreciate any time given.

Canteen and P&C Committee

To register to volunteer:

https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C0B4FA5AA2EA7FBC52-47648005-dpscanteen

To book Gowrie NSW - enrolment forms can be found on the Gowrie website:

https://www.gowriensw.com.au/out-of-hours-care/drummoyne-and-stmarks

Contact Rekkha for more information on 0436 616 744.

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