19 February 2025

Welcome

Welcome Back to a New School Year!

Happy New Year and welcome back to all our families! We hope everyone had a joyful and safe festive season. We trust you enjoyed the beautiful Sydney weather when it cooperated, along with the much-needed break from the usual routine.

We extend a heartfelt welcome to the new families joining our school community this year. For those starting their school journey in Kindergarten, the graduating Year 6 Class of 2031, and the families of students in Years 1-6 who have recently moved to our school, we are excited to have you with us. We look forward to sharing many wonderful experiences together.

Our team is always here to assist you. Should you need any information or clarification about school processes or procedures, please do not hesitate to contact us. Your queries are important, and we are here to ensure your transition into the new school year is smooth and supported. Don't forget to change your preferences on "Schoolzine" to the appropriate grade for 2025. 

Stay Informed with Our Fortnightly Newsletter

Communication is key to a successful school year. Our fortnightly newsletter is your go-to source for the latest updates, important dates, and school news. Please make it a habit to check it regularly to stay informed.

Schoolzine

For more detailed information, refer to our attached Communication Procedures Document. This document will guide you on how we communicate various aspects of school life and ensure you have all the necessary details. Don't forget to register to receive 'All' messages and to update your child's class from 'Year 2 2024 to Year 3 2024' for example.

NSW DoE Mobile Phone Policy Reminder

We would like to remind everyone of the NSW Department of Education’s mobile phone policy. All students must bring their phones to the office upon arrival each day and collect them at the end of the day. When your child brings their phone to the office for the first time this year, they will be given a letter for you to read and discuss with them. Please ensure this letter is signed and returned as soon as possible.

Reading Comprehension: Unlocking Meaningful Learning

Reading comprehension is the ability to understand and interpret written text effectively. It goes beyond simply recognizing words and focuses on comprehending the meaning behind the words. By listening to your children read, you can encourage their understanding of the text and help them develop important skills such as inference, prediction, and critical thinking. Engaging in conversations about the story, characters, and events will enhance their comprehension abilities, enabling them to extract valuable information and connect it to their own experiences.

Phonic Skills: Building a Solid Foundation

Phonics is a crucial component of early reading instruction, as it teaches children the relationship between sounds and letters. Listening to your children practice their phonic skills enables you to identify areas where they may need additional support. By providing guidance and offering praise for their progress, you can help them develop a strong foundation in decoding words and recognising letter-sound patterns. These skills are essential for reading fluency and comprehension, as they allow children to read with confidence and tackle unfamiliar words effectively.

Making Reading at Home Enjoyable

Quiet reading with your children can be a lovely way to wind down and spend quality family time together. It shouldn't be stressful but rather a positive and relaxing experience. Here are a few suggestions to make the most of your reading sessions:

1. Choose Topics of Interest: Allow your child to select books on topics they find engaging. When children have a personal interest in the subject matter, they are more likely to be motivated and invested in the reading experience.
2. Appropriate Difficulty: Select books that match your child's reading level to ensure a positive reading experience. While a certain level of challenge is important for growth, overly difficult books can lead to frustration. Gradually increase the difficulty as their skills progress.
3. Create a Comfortable Environment: Find a quiet and comfortable space for reading together. Minimise distractions, such as electronic devices or noise, to create a focused atmosphere that promotes concentration and comprehension.
4. Take Turns Reading: Encourage your child to read aloud and take turns reading passages or pages. This interactive approach not only enhances their reading skills but also strengthens the parent-child bond through shared storytelling.
5. Discuss and Reflect: Engage in meaningful conversations about the story, characters, and themes. Ask open-ended questions that encourage your child to think critically, make predictions, and relate the text to their own experiences. This promotes deeper understanding and encourages their analytical skills.

Listening to your child read plays a vital role in our homework procedures at Kensington Public School (KPS). Quiet reading sessions are an integral part of our approach to supporting literacy development at home.  

If you have any questions regarding our homework policy or would like to discuss your child’s reading progress, please do not hesitate to contact us via email, and we will get back to you promptly. Additionally, if you would like to opt out of homework for your child, we kindly ask that you send an email to the school.

To further support your child’s learning journey, we encourage families to set up a designated homework space at home. A quiet, organised area, free from distractions, can help your child focus and develop effective study habits. Establishing consistent routines in the afternoon, such as a set time for homework and reading, will reinforce positive learning experiences. These routines not only provide structure but also strengthen the connection between home and school, fostering a supportive environment for your child’s educational growth.

Lastly, please look out for a note coming home soon with your child’s passwords for various maths and literacy software. This information is for you to keep and access as needed to support their learning journey.

Warm regards,
Ms Louise Stone
Principal

Upcoming Dates

Friday 21 February – Years Three to Six Sport and PSSA starts, K-2 sport will start from Monday 24 February
Monday  24 February – SRC & Leadership Badging Assembly
Tuesday 25 February – P&C Meeting
Wednesday 26 February – Meet & Greet Afternoon
Friday 28 February – Clean up Kenso Day
Wednesday 5 March – PSSA Swimming Carnival

Term 1 Overview of Learning

Early Stage One Term One Overview of Learning

Kindergarten Term One Phonics Overview

Stage One Term One Overview of Learning

Year One Term One Phonics Overview

Year Two Term One Phonics Overview

Stage Two Term One Overview of Learning

Stage Three Term One Overview of Learning

Meet and Greet Afternoon

We would love to welcome everyone to a drop-in session to meet the class teacher on Wednesday 26 February.  Classrooms and specialist programs will be open from 3.15-4.30 pm. You and your child should drop in to explore their new learning environment and learn about our programs. The library, performing arts room and language rooms will all be open. Please come in and introduce yourself.  Please remember, this is not a parent teacher meeting. Parent teacher meetings will be scheduled soon. Watch out for a Sentral email where you will receive a class PowerPoint and we recommend you have a read of that before our Meet and Greet. If you have any unanswered questions after you have viewed the class information PowerPoint, the Meet and Greet will be a great time to seek clarification.

We look forward to a fantastic year ahead, filled with learning, growth, and memorable moments. Let’s make it a great year together!

We would like to take this opportunity to emphasise the importance of listening to your children read at home. Reading is a fundamental skill that forms the basis for academic success and personal development. By actively engaging in their reading journey, you can make a significant positive impact on their overall literacy skills and instill a lifelong love for reading. In this newsletter, we will discuss the crucial role of reading comprehension and phonic skills while providing some helpful tips for making reading at home an enjoyable experience.

StudentPayPlus

Kensington Public School is opening up a new feature within the Sentral Parent Portal app called StudentPayPlus. StudentPayPlus is an easy way for parents and carers to pay for donation payments like Walkathon money, mango orders and other non-invoiced activities etc. When using StudentPayPlus for the first time, you will be asked to create a new StudentPayPlus account. You will automatically be directed to our Kensington Public School store menu with your child’s credentials already shared across from Sentral.

Once logged in, you will be presented with all of the items that have been set up by the school. For example, you will now be able to pay for the brick fundraiser donations, our KPS 125 Year Anniversary magazine, musical tickets, mangoes and Year Six shirts. More options will be added as the year progresses.

After selecting an item for ordering, you will be asked to nominate which child you are placing the order for, as well as the quantity and delivery method required. Once your item has been added to your cart, you may continue purchasing other items and then navigate to the check out.

Please see screenshots below of the StudentPayPlus feature.

If you have any questions about how to use this new feature on your Sentral Parent Portal app, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office.

NAPLAN 2025

Each year the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is sat by students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Students will participate in tests for writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.

NAPLAN 2025 will take place from Wednesday 12 March to Monday 24 March.

NAPLAN is just one part of our school’s learning assessment program. The tests assess literacy and numeracy skills your child is already learning at school, so the best preparation is their everyday classroom learning. Our school will also undertake activities to help students become familiar with the types of questions and tools available in the online tests.

The public demonstration site https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site is available for you to see the format of the online tests.

Further information about NAPLAN is available on the NESA website https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/nesa/naplan and the NAP website https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/for-parents-carers.

If you have any questions about NAPLAN, including questions about disability adjustments for your child or about Ramadan and provisions for students, please contact the school.

Brick Fundraiser - Last Orders - Fundraiser Closes Monday 3 March

Thank you to those who have sent through your orders, you would have received details about your order and how to make a payment. Payment is through PayPlus.

Student Wellbeing @ KPS

New Year, New Class, New Teacher!

There are many factors that can have a positive influence on student wellbeing and creating learning environments that build community and promote feelings of safety and belonging are key.

Here at KPS our goal is to ensure that our students feel safe and supported.With a core focus of supporting the development of students’ social and emotional skills we strive to develop respectful learners with positive behaviour for learning. Principles of positive behaviour support, trauma-informed practice, inclusive practice and social emotional learning underpin our daily practice.

Over the past few weeks our teachers and staff have been busy working to provide a learning environment that is equipped to meet the diverse needs of our students. Classroom teachers have utilised our Focus of the Fortnight  and our school values: Honour, Knowledge and Community resources to introduce and revisit our positive behaviour for learning platforms. Within their PDHPE lessons, teachers have also re-introduced the Zones of Regulation tools and framework to support student self-regulation, self awareness and social awareness and our KPS Anti-bullying pledge to continue to build respectful relationships.

Please see copies of these below*

To ensure all community members feel safe at our school, please see the department's Community Charter and the KPS Parent Carer Code of Conduct below.

Focus of the Fortnight

Across the school, students are exploring and revisiting our Focus of the Fortnight skills and values. It has been heart-warming to see how well students have welcomed one another into their new classes and have demonstrated their capacity to reflect upon our Focus of the Fortnight and our school values to recognise how they can individually and collectively support positive student wellbeing at KPS.

Our School Values:

The Zones of Regulation:

Our teaching staff are making use of the Zones of Regulation tools to empower students to identify their emotions, and provide them with a ‘toolbox’ of strategies to help regulate their emotions and improve their wellbeing. By implementing the Zones of Regulation tools and teaching the core concepts relating to them, we aim to create an open culture around the discussion of mental health and wellbeing

The Zones of Regulation is a framework based around the use of four colours to help children self-identify how they’re feeling and categorise it based on colour. The program is designed to help children better understand their emotions, sensory needs and thinking patterns. The children develop a shared language and understanding of their emotions and learn different strategies to cope and manage their emotions based on which colour zone they’re in. Students also learn how to recognise their own triggers, read facial expressions, develop problem-solving skills, and become more attuned to how their actions affect other people.

Students will be continuing to learn about the Zones of Regulation framework through their PDHPE Curriculum and also through their everyday teaching and learning activities. Please take a look at the website (copied below) to learn more and get in touch with our Student Wellbeing team through our school office if you would like to learn more.

Our KPS Anti-bullying Pledge:

Cyberbullying:

Students and/or parents/carers can report cyberbullying to the eSafety Commissioner and reporting links for most sites, games and apps can be found at the eSafety Guide.

Student of the Term:

Each term students are invited to vote for the  Student of the Term. This coveted award celebrates positive behaviour and the achievements of peers, teaching students to recognise how they can advocate for themselves and others.

Student of the Term Procedures:

Rationale:

The Student of the Term (SOT) program acknowledges students for upholding the school  values, motivates students to strive for success, includes the wider community in celebrating student  achievement and values student voice and input.

Description: Each term, one student per class will be nominated by their peers to receive the SOT award at their K-2 or 3-6 assembly. The nominations will be linked directly to school values. Parents will be invited to these special assemblies. During the weeks when SOT awards are presented, there will be no merit awards  or class item. Each SOT will have their photo displayed in the school hall until the next SOT assembly.

Selection process: Teachers will explicitly teach the criteria for selection (not unlike SRC representatives).  Students use their grade-specific nomination form (or similar) to nominate a peer who they think is deserving of the award. Teachers will review the results and make the overriding decision with reference to data obtained from Sentral and other teachers to ensure that the candidate is eligible. In order for a student to be  chosen, specific examples must be identified about the candidate’s participation in the school across the three school values. On the rare occasion where there is a specific discrepancy between the student  nominations and perceived eligibility, the Learning and Support Team (LaST) will make the final decision. A student may receive the award more than once within a year.

Assembly: The  principal or assistant principal will present the awards. After all the awards have been given out, the students and their families will then be asked to go out  to the green-wall in Area 1 for their group photo. This will be included in the following newsletter. Individual file photos of each student will be displayed in the hall frames until the next SOT assembly. These recipients  will then be added to the honour board frames and new photos will be put up.

Kensington Public School Behaviour Support and Management Plan:

Recently, the NSW Department of Education has introduced a Public School Support and Management Plan to support student wellbeing and promote positive behaviour in schools. This plan, and supporting documentation, act as a guide for schools to promote positive student behaviour and the use of evidence-informed practice to respond to behaviours of concern. Each plan also addresses the need for a planned and consistent approach to support the prevention of bullying and cyber-bullying.

At KPS we will continue to review and build upon our existing practices and procedures. This year, we will review our Student Wellbeing Handbook and update its content to reflect NSW Department of Education updates and recommendations.

Please see a copy of our Kensington Public School Behaviour Support and Management Plan below. This document is also available on our school website.

If you have any questions regarding any of this information, please do not hesitate to get in contact with our Student Wellbeing Team through our school office.

Warmest regards,

The Student Wellbeing Team

First Week of Kindergarten

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SRC Update - Term 1 Week 3 - Mufti Day - Blue, Red, Yellow and Green

It was time to get ready for our upcoming swimming carnival on Thursday as students donned their house colours with excitement. Balamarra, Pindaree, Kurpinta and Mirabooka were all well represented as students showed their support and community pride. We can’t wait to see students wear their house colours with pride at the carnival and hear their war cries! As always, a huge thanks to our community for supporting our fundraising efforts.

2026 Selective High School and Opportunity Class Applications Reminder

Applications for selective high school and opportunity class entry in 2026 will be open from 7 November 2024 to 21 February 2025.

Parents and carers can apply for opportunity class placement when their child is in Year 3 (or by the end of Week 4, Term 1 when their child is in Year 4). For 2026 entries, this applies to students currently in Year 3.

For selective high school placement in 2026, parents and carers will continue to apply when their child is in Year 5 and can now apply when their child is in Year 6 until the end of Week 4, Term 1.

The application link will be available at Selective high schools and opportunity classes from 7 November.

For more information, please visit the website

Opportunity Class and Selective High School Applications Open

Applications for Year 5 opportunity class and Year 7 selective high school placement in 2026 are open from Thursday 7 November 2024 and close on Friday 21 February 2025.

More information, including the online application link for parents and carers is below:

Starlight Super Swim

The Super Swim challenge is for all ages, and at any location across Australia. Challengers can choose their own distance and fundraising goal, and can participate as an individual, or as part of a team. 

Starlight's mission is "To brighten the lives of seriously ill children and their families." When a once-bright life is dulled by needles, hospital visits and painful treatments, Starlight helps sick kids forget they're sick for a while and re-discover the joy of childhood.

In February, Mrs Parsons will be taking part in Super Swim to raise funds for the Starlight Children's Foundation. Did you know that every minute of every day a sick child is admitted to hospital in Australia?

Please sponsor her to reach the fundraising goal and brighten the lives of sick kids in hospital.

Use the QR code to make a donation.

Ethics Teachers Needed 2025

We currently cannot meet the demand for ethics classes at KPS and so there are many students on waiting lists. Ethics classes can only be offered as an alternative if we have volunteer teachers. Volunteers can come from our parents, grandparents, friends, and local community, from every walk of life. Primary Ethics offers full, free training, lesson scripts and teaching support.

Ethics encourages children to listen closely and to develop their opinions through ethical reasoning. Ethics helps kids develop confidence and empathy. As an ethics teacher, you will get a lot out of it too!

If you have an hour a week and want to ensure children at our school can access this valuable program, go to: https://primaryethics.com.au/volunteer/ethics-teacher/

Or contact the KPS Ethics Coordinator, John-Daniel Encel jd.encel@unsw.edu.au

Celebrating and Highlighting Our Community

Please email the school with details of any accomplishments that our wonderful community has achieved, and we will publish it in our next newsletter. Don’t forget to include a photo!

Alby in Year 4 qualified for the Little Athletics Regional Carnival held in Sylvania in early February for four events: 70m and 100m sprint, 60m hurdle and long jump. He ended up placing 4th in the region in the 70m sprint and 5th for long jump which was a fantastic achievement.

Alby has now qualified for the State Championships and will be representing his club in the 70m sprint in Homebush next month. Go Alby!

Community News

Canteen

Uniform Shop

Group Singing Classes for Teens and Adults

Group singing classes are available in the form of two vocal groups: All Levels - Adult Vocal Group and Advanced Vocal Group 15+ Vocal groups meet every Wednesday during the school term within Kensington P.S Hall. All levels - Adult Vocal Group: 6:45pm - 7:45pm Advanced Vocal Group 15+: 7:45pm - 9:15pm. For more information, please visit the link below.

Extra Curricula Programs at KPS 2025

Call them directly for information. 

Animal Oz Illustration- Comic Art- Animation

Chess Classes

Class Artz Academy

Directions in Music

DZP Dance

Ricky’s Music Tuition

Swedish School

KPS School Band