4 June 2025

Welcome

The Power of Kindness

At Kensington Public School, we believe that kindness is one of the most important values we can nurture in our students. Kindness doesn’t cost anything, but it has the power to make a world of difference. Whether it’s a smile, a helping hand, or a kind word, these small gestures can brighten someone’s day and help build a stronger, more connected school community.

Every day, our students are given opportunities to show kindness—on the playground, in the classroom, and even in the smallest moments like holding a door open or saying, “thank you.” These actions, though simple, create ripples that spread far beyond the moment. When we choose to be kind, we help others feel valued, seen, and safe. It’s amazing how one kind word can turn someone’s whole day around.

Unfortunately, we also know that unkind words can hurt deeply. That’s why we are working with students to understand the impact of their words and actions. Through class discussions, books, and our whole-school wellbeing programs, we’re helping students to reflect, pause, and choose kindness—even when it’s hard. We encourage our families to talk about kindness at home and model it in everyday life.

Let’s continue to work together to create a school where kindness is our default setting. When we lift each other up with our words and actions, we make Kensington Public School not just a place of learning, but a place where everyone feels they belong. Kindness may be free, but it’s one of the most valuable things we can give.

Warm regards,

Ms Louise Stone
Principal

2026 Enrolment Reminder

A reminder that if you have a sibling or know children enrolling in Kindergarten for 2026 please encourage them to submit an online enrolment by visiting the department website https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/going-to-a-public-school/enrolment or the KPS website https://kensington-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/about-our-school/enrolment.html.

Upcoming Dates

Monday 2 June to Friday 6 June – Food Drive for Ronald Mc Donald House

Thursday 5 June – Year 6 Mufti Day Pyjama/Onesie

Monday 9 June - King's Birthday Public Holiday - school is closed

Sunday 22 June - Year 6 Bunnings Alexandria BBQ

Tuesday 24 June - P&C Meeting

Library Donation - It's Tax Time!

Student Wellbeing @ KPS

Focus of the Fortnight

Across the school, students are exploring and revisiting our Focus of the Fortnight skills and values.

Term Two 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. Parents and carers of students that are awarded Student of the Term are invited to attend an assembly. Please note, this term’s Student of the Term assembly will be held on Monday June 23 at 2:30pm

The New NSW Public Schools Student Survey (NPSS)

Later in Term 2, we are offering our Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 students the opportunity to participate in the NSW Public Schools Student Survey. The survey will replace the Tell Them From Me Survey and gives students the chance to share their thoughts and feelings about life at school, including questions about their engagement, learning experiences and wellbeing at school. There will be no parent, carer or staff survey this year.

Hearing directly from our students will help us understand what’s working well and where improvements can be made to our school. The survey is confidential, takes around 10 to 15 minutes to complete, and will be conducted online during school hours.

Opt-out Consent Form

Participation is voluntary. If you prefer your child not to participate, please complete the opt-out consent form by Wednesday 18th June, which will be sent home via Schoolzine, and is accessible through the link copied below, and return it to the school. This form only needs to be returned if you do not wish for your child to participate.

Further information about the survey is available at https://education.nsw.gov.au/npss

Getting on Track in Time - Got It Emotion Coaching

As mentioned in our earlier newsletters, our staff are excited to be working with the ‘Getting on Track in Time - Got It!’ team. This team supports the delivery of a specialist early intervention mental health program for children in Kindergarten to Year 2, and their parents and carers. The school-based program helps parents and schools identify children’s social and emotional difficulties and supports them to respond to difficult behaviours.

Got It! is delivered by NSW Health teams in partnership with NSW Department of Education public schools, across two school terms and is designed to reduce the incidence of early behavioural, social and emotional concerns and ultimately the emergence of conduct disorder in young children.

This year, our school and community will be lucky enough to benefit from this program with further information to follow in Term 3.

The ‘Getting on Track in Time - Got It!’ team have shared some of their information via this flyer:

The Importance of Relationship Skills

As part of our commitment to fostering a holistic educational environment, we are excited to continue to share our focus on the CASEL approach, particularly the emphasis on Relationship Skills. These skills are vital for our students as they learn to navigate a diverse world and build meaningful connections with those around them.

What are Relationship Skills?

Relationship skills are the abilities that help students establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships. They are essential for effective communication, collaboration, and conflict resolution. By developing these skills, children learn to interact positively with peers, teachers, and the wider community. Staff support students to develop their relationship skills every day and through our PDHPE lessons and guidance on the school playground.

Positive relationship skills on the school playground:

The playground is a vibrant space where our students not only have fun but also develop essential social skills. As part of our commitment to creating a safe and respectful environment, we are focusing on supporting our students in interacting positively with their peers during playtime.

Why Respectful Interactions Matter:

Playground interactions are crucial for building friendships, learning teamwork, and developing conflict resolution skills. Encouraging respectful behaviour helps create a welcoming atmosphere where all students feel safe and included.

Key Strategies for Supporting Respectful and Safe Interactions:

Modelling Respectful Behaviour: We encourage parents and guardians to model respectful communication and actions at home and for our school staff to model respectful communication at school. Children learn a great deal from observing how adults interact with one another and with them.

• Teaching Conflict Resolution: Our staff is dedicated to teaching students strategies for resolving disagreements peacefully. This includes using "I" statements to express feelings, listening to others, and finding common ground.
• Promoting Empathy: Through our Zones of Regulation framework, we are implementing activities that help students understand and recognise the feelings of others. Encouraging children to consider how their actions affect their peers fosters a culture of kindness.
• Setting Clear Expectations: We have established clear playground rules that promote safety and respect. These rules are regularly discussed with students to ensure they understand the importance of following them.
• Encouraging Inclusive Play: We strive to create an inclusive environment where all students feel welcome to join in games and activities. Encouraging your child to invite others to play can help strengthen friendships and community.
• Recognising Positive Behaviour: Acknowledging and rewarding students who demonstrate respectful interactions encourages others to follow suit. We celebrate acts of kindness and cooperation in our classrooms and on the playground. Please take a look at our class ‘Kindness Walls’ and Kindness Clouds’ on display in individual classrooms.
• Providing Supervision and Support: Our teachers and staff actively monitor playground activities, ready to step in when needed to guide students in resolving conflicts or reinforcing positive behaviours. When necessary, staff will contact families when they consider that a student has had a challenging time managing their emotions or interacting safely with others. This process is in place to provide further support for students.
• Involving Students in Problem-Solving: We encourage students to take ownership of their playground environment by involving them in discussions about how to make the playground a safe and enjoyable space for everyone.

How You Can Help at Home:

• Discuss Playground Experiences: Talk with your child about their time on the playground. Encourage them to share both positive and challenging experiences and help them think through how they can handle similar situations in the future.
• Encourage Kindness and Inclusivity: Reinforce the importance of including others in play and treating everyone with respect. Share stories or examples of kind behaviour and discuss their impact.
• Role-Play Scenarios: Practice role-playing different playground scenarios at home, such as handling conflicts or inviting someone to join in a game. This will help your child feel more prepared to handle real-life situations.

By working together, we can ensure that the playground remains a safe and enjoyable space for all students. Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership in promoting safe and respectful interactions within our school community.

National Sorry Day & National Reconciliation Week

This week we mark two significant events in our national calendar: National Sorry Day – today – and National Reconciliation Week, which runs from 27 May to 3 June. 

Today, on National Sorry Day, we pay our respects and acknowledge the Stolen Generations and the ongoing impact of historic government policies that caused profound harm to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people – including historical education policies, where students were systematically excluded. It’s a time for reflection, recognition and compassion as we commit to healing and building a more genuine relationship with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.

This year’s theme for National Reconciliation Week, ‘Bridging Now to Next’, invites us to acknowledge past wrongs, to reconcile the past with the present, and walk together towards a more respectful and inclusive future.      

Merit Certificates Week 4

Kindergarten Are Growing Bean Plants in Science!

This term, our fantastic Kindergarten students are learning all about living things. We have learnt about what makes something a living thing, the basic needs of a living thing and the basic needs of plants. Now it is time to grow our own plants and take care of them - giving them soil, sun, water and air. We had so much fun planting our bean seeds and we can't wait to watch them grow!

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Term 2 Week 4 - Round 1 Premier’s Debating Challenge

On Thursday 22nd May, KPS Debaters participated in their first debate against Paddington Public School. Both teams performed incredibly well presenting arguments in support of their position within the debate. Our Year 6 team debated for the affirmative with the topic; “That Year 5 and 6 kids should study a new language each term”. Unfortunately, they lost their debate but received valuable feedback to take into future debates.

Our Year 5 team took the negative position in the debate “That every class in primary should adopt a dog or a cat as a class pet”. Our Year 5’s debated very well utilising the debate skills they had learnt at the Debating workshop. Unfortunately, they too lost their debate but have new knowledge to take to the Round 2 debate coming up. Congratulations to all students for your graciousness in defeat and your enthusiasm and effort in the debate.

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Sydney Coastal PSSA Zone Cross Country Carnival

On Wednesday 21 May, 38 students represented Kensington Public School at the Sydney Coastal PSSA Zone Cross Country Carnival. This event was held at Centennial Park. Running 2km or 3km isn't easy! These students should be commended on their amazing efforts in their races on the day, as well as the respect shown to all teachers and officials and the sportsmanship shown to other competitors. Congratulations to Honzik H who will be representing the Sydney Coastal Zone at the Metropolitan East Regional Cross Country Carnival soon.

Well done!



Year 5 Aspire Positive Peer Relationships Incursion

On Tuesday 27 May, all Year 5 students participated in a Positive Peer Relationships workshop. Here, they were able to talk about and participate in many activities that focused on empathy, active listening, connection, kindness, anti-bullying, conflict resolution, teamwork and lifting others up. Thank you so much Matt and Meg from Unleashing Personal potential for facilitating our workshop. 

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Aspire Year 6 Workshop

On Monday 2 June, all Year 6 students participated in an ASPIRE Workshop focusing on leadership, active listening, connection, kindness, anti-bullying, conflict resolution, teamwork and lifting others up. Thank you so much Matt and Meg from Unleashing Personal potential for facilitating our workshop. 

The Aspire message focuses on:

A- Take ACTION, have a go.

S-Serve, be kind and give others a go.

P-Persist through struggles and setbacks.

I-Influence others and set examples.

R-Respect for people, groups and equipment

E-Encourage others

Performing Arts News

It’s getting exciting as we have started rehearsing for 'A Hint of Snow'. 

Costumes have been designed, and everyone knows their roles and responsibilities. 

School Musical Poster Competition Results:

After much consideration we have decided to pick two winners for our poster competition.

They are Isabel and Crystal, both from Year 6. We will be displaying many of the other fabulous and creative entries in the foyer of the theatre so everyone can see. 

Well done to those students (and all entrants) for an outstanding job!

Save the date

Our school musical will be on Wednesday 10 September. Week 8 of Term 3. 

We will be having two performances on that day at Kingsford Juniors Wintle Theatre. 

Please also note that students will be asked for a costume/production fee in their Term 3 invoices.

Thank you in advance and it is looking like it is going to be one incredible show!

Environmental News

On Monday 26 May we had Blake from Cleanaway come and talk to the Environmental students about our environment, rubbish, recycling and sustainability. 

We learnt about renewables, packaging, solutions and why people litter and where it goes. 

The team wanted to remind our community about our wonderful Recycling Hub outside our staffroom. This was provided by the Randwick City Council and every two weeks they come to collect the rubbish for recycling. We take soft plastics, batteries, CDs and cartridges. Please bring these to our hub so they can be properly recycled. Also please try and not use single plastic in lunch boxes. An alternative is to use reusable bags, containers, beeswax wrapping and material bags. If we all try a little harder, we can make a big difference to help our environment for our future. 

Teddy Bear Hospital Incursion

Kindergarten-Year 4 students participated in the Teddy Bear Hospital incursion last Friday. Students rotated between 7 different workshops, where they explored anatomy, doctors' equipment, healthy eating, exercise, emergency and ambulance services and fracture clinics. At the end of the workshop, students enjoyed watching Teddy Bear have an operation, where students identified the reason for the operation and the procedure of Teddy Bear's broken arm. Thank you to the UNSW Medical Students for coming into our school and engaging our students in a wonderful experience!

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PSSA Sport Results Week 5

Athletics Carnival

On Thursday 29 May we held our annual Athletics Carnival, and what a successful day we had at E.S. Marks Field! Congratulations to all students for their efforts on the track, in the field, and cheering on teammates. Many thanks also to parents who were able to be there to support children.

The Sydney Coastal Zone Carnival is not until the end of August, but we will finalise our Zone team soon! The winning house and athletics age champions will be announced later in the term with ribbons also being presented.

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K-2 Athletics Carnival

Kindergarten-Year Two had a fantastic day at E.S. Marks Athletics Field last Thursday. Students enjoyed participating in a range of activities including tunnel ball, egg and spoon races, parachute games, sack races, and many more. Lots of house points were handed out and students had a very exciting end to the day, where they participated in relay races in their house groups! Thank you again for all of our parent helpers who helped us throughout the day, and especially those parents who kindly volunteered to show our students how to participate in a relay race!! Well done to all students for an amazing day!

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PSSA & School Sport Indigenous Round

Film by Workshop

We’re thrilled to announce that Film By is conducting a beginners Animation Workshop. This is a dynamic, hands-on experience designed for public school students in Years 5–11 who are interested in the exciting world of animation and storytelling.

Delivered by a professional from the animation industry, this full-day workshop offers students the opportunity to:

🎨 Learn how to use animation software and explore digital animation techniques
✏️ Develop the basics of story and character creation
🖥️ Gain hands-on experience with industry tools in a supportive, creative environment

Workshop Details:
📅 Date: Friday 8 August 2025
🕘 Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
📍 Location: NSW Department of Education, 105 Phillip Street, Parramatta
💵 Cost: $100 per student
🔗 Register here: artsunit.nsw.edu.au/film-by/workshops/individual-student-workshops

This is a fantastic opportunity for young creatives to explore animation under the guidance of a skilled industry professional. Please pass this information on to any students who may be interested – places are limited and expected to fill quickly!

P&C News School Drop-Off and Pick-Up Etiquette Reminder

Dear Parents and Carers,

We kindly remind everyone to follow some simple guidelines during school drop-off and pick-up times to ensure the safety and smooth flow of traffic for all:

- Plan your time – Allow extra time for delays during peak times.

- Join the queue – Please do not cut in; join the end and wait your turn.

- Keep moving – If the pick-up zone is full, drive around rather than stopping in the road.

- Do not block the road – Keep traffic flowing and avoid causing unnecessary congestion.

- Stay in your car – Do not leave your vehicle unattended or walk away from it.

- Be courteous and calm – Set a good example for our children by showing patience and respect to others.

Let’s work together to keep our school community safe and considerate for everyone.

Thank you,

P&C Committee

Year 6 Fundraiser

KPS Tea Towel 2025 Edition

KPS Tea Towel 2025 Edition made from 100% cotton. Ideal gift for Father's Day or Christmas.

Choose from 2 designs: Kindy - Year 2 and Year 3 - Year 6

$20 each or Set of 3 or Mixed set of 3 - $55

Orders will be delivered to your child in Term 3 by Week 4 (week ending Fri 15 Aug)

Thank you for supporting our Year 6 Parent Committee fundraiser!

Class of 2005 - 20 Year Reunion

Twenty years after finishing at Kensington Public School, the Class of 2005 (which includes our very own Mr. T!) held their reunion on the weekend. Laughter and memories filled the air as former classmates gathered and toured the school. There was so much nostalgia and joy as they reminisced on all the good times. Stories flowed easily - of playground adventures, favourite teachers and sporting achievements. They then gathered in Mr T's current classroom, browsed through school photos from 1999 to 2005, and sang the school song. Some had travelled far to attend, while others had stayed close to home, but all were united by the shared roots of their early years at Kensington Public School. It was a heartwarming celebration of lasting friendships. 

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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!

PSSA Hockey State Championship

Sophie V and Eline V are PSSA Hockey State Champions! They recently played for the PSSA Sydney East Girls team at the PSSA Hockey State Championship from 19-22 May in Newcastle. After six games (five wins and a draw) they finished top of their group and reached the semi-finals. With two goals from Sophie in the semi-final and two goals from Eline in the grand final, they were of great value to the team’s championship. It was the first time in the history of the tournament that Sydney East made the finals! Congratulations Sophie and Eline!

Community News

Canteen

Uniform Shop

Group Singing Classes Adults

School Holiday Activities

Code Camp

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 & Acting Program

Ricky’s Music Tuition

Swedish School