Dear JPS Families, 

This coming Wednesday is our Athletics Carnival, and after Ian Hatfield's weekly training sessions, our students are well and truly ready to put their skills to the test! Thank you to Mrs Kunkler for organising what I'm sure will be a fantastic day, and to the parents who have volunteered to help run events on the day — your support is always appreciated.

This week also saw Jamberoo host the Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking Zone Final, with finalists from many local schools coming together for what was a wonderful event. I was incredibly proud watching Olivia, Ava, Zahli and Anneke speak with such confidence and passion. A huge congratulations to Zahli, who won the Stage 3 Zone Final and will now go on to represent Jamberoo at the next level — we are cheering for you! Thanks also go to Mrs Behl-Shanks for masterfully coordinating the event. 

It was a big week for words all round, with our debating team competing in three debates against other local schools. I had a wonderful time going along to watch — the students were fantastic in all three debates. Read more about them below. 

As we head into the final stretch of term, I'd like to take a moment to remind families of the importance of regular school attendance. Even as the term winds down, every day counts. Consistent attendance supports your child's academic progress, helps them build vital habits like responsibility and time management, and keeps them connected to their friendships and the rhythms of school life. Missing even a few days here and there can add up, so unless your child is unwell, we love having them here!

A heads up for families who use the school bus — Kiama Coaches will be making changes to their routes from the 20th of July. Please take a moment to read the information from Kiama Coaches further down in this newsletter to make sure you're across anything that may affect your family.

Kind Regards, 

Bec Gavin

Principal

On Thursday 17 June, Jamberoo Public School proudly hosted the Zone Final of the Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking Competition, welcoming talented speakers from schools across the region. Thank you to Mrs Gavin for her assistance in preparing to host and her support of our speakers, and to Katelyn, Cate and Elsie for helping out with the timekeeping.

Representing Jamberoo in the Stage 2 competition were Olivia and Ava, who both presented thought-provoking speeches on Every Family Has a Story. They shared the remarkable story of their immigrant grandfather, recounting his perseverance through hardship, determination to build a new life and his cheeky antics along the way. Their presentations had many audience members fighting back tears as they reflected on the power of family stories and the sacrifices made by previous generations.

In the Stage 3 competition, Zahli and Anneke delivered engaging speeches on Multicultural Lunchboxes. Anneke encouraged the audience to be open-minded and willing to try new foods and experiences, highlighting how much we can learn from one another's cultures. Zahli had the audience in the palm of her hand as she cleverly compared Jamberoo to a Vegemite sandwich, using vivid imagery to celebrate Australia's multicultural identity.

The challenging impromptu speech component saw students given just five minutes to prepare before presenting in front of the audience gathered in the hall. All four of our representatives rose to the challenge with confidence and poise, delivering articulate and engaging speeches.

We are very proud of Olivia, Ava and Anneke, who were participating in the competition for the very first time. Despite being newcomers, they spoke with the confidence and composure of seasoned public speakers. The adjudicators had glowing praise for all four Jamberoo speakers, commenting on their strong presentation skills, thoughtful content and ability to connect with their audience.

We are thrilled to announce that Zahli was named the winner of the Stage 3 competition ahead of the other 15 speakers. She will now progress to the Regional Final in August. Congratulations to Zahli on this outstanding achievement, and to Olivia, Ava and Anneke for representing Jamberoo Public School so beautifully. We are incredibly proud of all four students and look forward to following Zahli's journey at the next stage of the competition.

Congratulations to Cate, Katelyn, Kiara, Zahli and Elsie, who proudly represented Jamberoo Public School in two challenging rounds of the Premier's Debating Challenge.

In their first debate against Albion Park Public School, the team argued the negative case on the topic, ‘Students under 12 should be banned from smartphones.’ Despite facing a topic that generated strong opinions, our debaters confidently presented their arguments, highlighting the educational benefits of smartphones when used responsibly, the importance of parental guidance and digital citizenship, and the need for balance rather than an outright ban. The team demonstrated excellent teamwork, quick thinking and persuasive speaking throughout the debate.

The students then competed in a second debate against Mt Terry PS, where they argued that ‘Primary Schools should start each day with 30 minutes of exercise’. The team welcomes Katelyn to her first debate and once again displayed clear reasoning and rebuttal skills. Their ability to listen carefully to the opposing team, respond thoughtfully to new arguments and work together under pressure reflected the significant growth they have made as debaters.

Cate, Katelyn, Kiara, Zahli and Elsie should be incredibly proud of their efforts. They clocked up two wins on the day but more importantly represented our school with confidence, maturity and outstanding sportsmanship, continuing Jamberoo Public School's tradition of excellence in public speaking and debating. The final round of the challenge will take place against Balarang PS on Friday to decide the zone champions.

As part of Bimbala’s English unit, we have enjoyed reading Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!  by Mo Willems. Students have been practising the use of speech marks, exclamation marks and question marks in their own writing, using the text’s exciting examples to guide them.

We have also started making persuasive arguments about whether the pigeon should or should not be allowed to drive the bus. Many students argued that the pigeon shouldn’t drive because he doesn’t have a driver’s licence, doesn’t have hands and can’t reach the pedals. These were very convincing points. However, independent thinking is always encouraged in Bimbala and some students chose to write a persuasive piece on why the pigeon should drive the bus, explaining that we should give the pigeon a chance. Students are now turning these ideas into their own stories about whether the pigeon should or should not teach our class.

Bimbala have also been enjoying their dance unit focused on celebration through movement, practising dynamics, levels and moving together to express excitement and joy. Students have been working in small groups to compose their own dance sequences, creating a fun variation of either the Macarena or the Nutbush. They proudly performed their routines this week, showcasing teamwork, rhythm and growing confidence.

Cooinda students dusted off the Bee-Bots and put their coding and navigation skills to the test! Using compass points and directional language, students planned and programmed routes to move their Bee-Bots from one location to another. They carefully considered the directions needed, using terms such as north, south, east, and west to create accurate sequences of commands.

Once their routes were programmed, students trialled their Bee-Bots to see whether their instructions were successful. Through testing, observing, and refining their code, they discovered the importance of precise directional language and accurate sequencing. There were plenty of triumphs and a few Bee-Bot "tragedies" along the way, with robots occasionally taking unexpected detours—but each mistake provided a valuable learning opportunity. It was fantastic to see students problem-solve, collaborate, and persist as they adjusted their routes and celebrated successful journeys across the map!

Building on these skills in maths, we have been exploring grid directions on physical maps. To complete these tasks, students have used compass work and participated in scavenger hunts around the school, further developing their spatial awareness and understanding of coordinates.

Students have also begun their final research task for our History unit, exploring significant events and people that have shaped Australia's past. Drawing on their learning about the First Fleet, colonisation, the Gold Rush, bushrangers, and the Eureka Stockade, students are researching a topic of interest and gathering information from a range of sources. This task provides an opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of Australia's history while developing their research, note-taking, and information report writing skills.

In PE, we are almost ready to take on the athletics carnival next week! A huge thank you to Ian Hatfield for sharing his tips and tricks with us. This week, students honed their long jump skills in preparation, showing great enthusiasm and progress.

The P&C will be running a Bunnings BBQ on Saturday, 18 July at Bunnings Shellharbour.

We are looking for volunteers to help throughout the day. Whether you can spare an hour or several hours, any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

We are also seeking donations of supplies for the event. Donations can be dropped off at the school front office before Friday, 3 July.

To volunteer or donate supplies, please scan the QR code above or complete the form here:

https://form.everestwebdeals.co/?form=1fcb35b928555e9156e3e396dcc96c89

We hope you can support this fundraiser and help make it a success.

Thank you,The P&C Team

A friendly reminder that the Premier's Reading Challenge 2026 is now underway! We have already had many students reach their reading goal.

Challenge Opens: Monday 23 February 2026

Challenge Closes: Friday 18 September 2026

Students in Kindergarten to Year 2 complete the challenge as part of their classroom and library learning, with books being recorded at school.

Students in Years 3 to 6 can continue adding books to their reading record at home through their Premier's Reading Challenge student portal, as well as during class and library time at school. Reading 20 books in total.

We encourage all students to keep reading regularly and recording their books to work towards completing the challenge. Reading for enjoyment helps build vocabulary, imagination, knowledge, and a lifelong love of books.

If you have any questions about accessing your child's portal, please contact the school.

Thanks

Mrs Green

Parents and carers are invited to attend our online FREE webinar:

How digital design influences children online.

When: Wednesday 22nd July

Time: 7:30-8:15pm

This webinar will explore:

• Children’s self-regulation in a digital world;
• How persuasive design shapes children’s digital experiences;
• Practical tips to stay one step ahead of persuasive design;
• Everyday approaches to support children's digital self-regulation.

Register Here:

How Digital Design Influences Children Online - Webinar

AFL “ALL GIRLS” SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAM

SOUTHERN ILLAWARRA & AREA’s

WHO: Only girls - 4 turning 5 to 12 years old

WHEN: Wednesday 15th July

WHERE: Oak Flats Public School

TIMES: 9am – 3pm

COST: $20 with $35 discount voucher applied.

DISCOUNT VOUCHER: 37AAAE3A

RECEIVE: Pink Football

REGISTRATION LINKS:

Auskick (5-7yrs):   https://www.playhq.com/afl/register/32a19e    

Superkick (8-12yrs):   https://www.playhq.com/afl/register/72d2e6      

OR Scan the QR Codes on the flier.  

PARENTS: No need to stay as this is a fully supervised program.  

LIMITED SPOTS SO BE QUICK!