Key Messages

• If you are picking students up early, could you please try to avoid collecting them during recess and lunch periods as they are harder to track down in the playground!
• Please try to let children know how they are being collected of an afternoon before they leave for school each day. Passing messages on throughout the day is problematic and should only be used as a last resort.
• We have had a few school holiday opportunities shared with the school- many at low or no cost. Details are below.
• The last day for students this term is next Friday the 11^th They return for Term 2 on Wednesday the 30^th April.

Celebrations

• Class public speaking competitions are underway in 3-6 and the speeches I’ve seen thus far have been exceptional.
• Today’s cross country was a huge success. Congratulations to all those who completed the event and good luck to our representatives at the Zone carnival next term.
• Our AFL team has won the Paul Kelly Cup Parramatta final. They now head onto regionals!
• Our netball and AFL gala day teams had very different experiences, but all came back buzzing with excitement.
• Congratulations to Harrison and Caitlin on their wonderful representation at the Quakers Hill Network Student Voice Initiative.
• Thank you to all of our parents for your support of parent/teacher interviews.
• Student attendance in Term 1 has been exceptional. Well done everyone!

Welcome to the final edition of the log for Term 1. While this may be the last edition of the Log, there is still lots happening over the next week, with our Easter Hat Parade next Wednesday (9^th April), the Easter Raffle draw and P&C sausage sizzle the same day, a visit from the NSW police to talk to Stage 2 and 3 about cybersafety on Thursday and then our ANZAC service on Friday 11^th ahead of national ANZAC Day celebrations in the school holidays. So while the holidays may be near, there is still lots happening around the school!

This week I have been in and out of primary classrooms and have loved hearing some of their speeches for the Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking Competition. While I certainly haven’t heard everyone’s speech, those that I have heard have been exceptional and I’m very glad that the teachers need to choose the class winners and not me. I am always amazed at the level of deep thought and understanding that underpin the students’ speeches, not to mention the outstanding manner in which they are delivered. Public speaking is a daunting skill for many, but a wonderful talent for all and something that helps in so many facets in life. Once class competitions are concluded, each classes representatives will go onto the school final in our hall in Week 4 and 5 of next term. I can’t wait to hear what is presented!

Today we held our annual cross country. Each year when we hold the event, we tend to invoke storms, wind and general wild weather, but this year couldn’t have been more different. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and everything was right in the world. The other thing that happens at each cross country is my overwhelming pride for our students. Cross Country is a hard event and anyone who is able to complete it has usually pushed themselves beyond what is comfortable. Whether students finished in the top three, top five or later in the field, they should all feel an incredible sense of accomplishment in completing the long race. The competitive 3-6 carnival was completed in the morning and there were some amazing performances. While full results will be issued in a future newsletter (as well as reporting from our publicity team, who have full coverage of the event), congratulations to following students on winning their respective age groups. 

Not to be outdone, our K-2 students got to compete in their race just after recess. The joy on their faces as they ran around, often spending more time waving to the crowd than actually trying to win, was absolutely priceless. It also brought a smile to my face as many students wanted to keep running after their race was done! I was tired watching them, so I am certainly jealous of their endurance. Congratulations to the following students on winning their respective age groups.

All children should be proud of their efforts and be congratulated on giving it their very best. I would also like to thank all the parents who came out to cheer the students on. I know that it added to the atmosphere of the event and made it all the more memorable for our students.

Thank you to Mrs Wills and Mrs Knight for their organisation of both events, as well as all of our staff who helped throughout the day.

Yesterday I had an interesting question posed to me. One of our wonderful grandparents (who I know is a regular reader of this newsletter) asked if I knew why it was that our school was so good at sport. At first I thought the question may have been built off the school’s success at the Zone Swimming Championships, and had it followed the cross country it also would have made sense, but it quickly became apparent that it had more to do with the performance of our AFL teams last week. On Thursday our AFL squad travelled to North Parramatta for the 2025 Parramatta Paul Kelly Cup. Our team of superstars had an outstanding day, moving through the pool matches without losing a game, before winning both their semi-final and grand final to be crowned as champions! This was an amazing achievement for our students and something that they should be very proud of. They played incredibly well as a team, and while there were some very talented individuals in the side, the collective effort of all the students saw them succeed on the day. What is even more pleasing is the manner in which they conducted themselves as representatives. Their behaviour was exceptional throughout the day, as was their sportsmanship during their matches. I was very proud of all of them. They now move onto the Western Sydney Regional Final which will be held next term. We wish them every success at that tournament and we will be sure to let you know how they go!

Following their success on the Thursday, Supercoach Tobin took an even bigger group of students along to Binalong Oval in Toongabbie to compete in the Seven Hills/Wentworthville AFL gala day. In amongst the clouds and gloomy weather, the students shone brightly, playing all games at a high level. While no scores were recorded, the students returned to school with heads held high- confident that they had won every match quite comfortably. As with the previous day, the sportsmanship displayed by all of our students was nothing short of exemplary. Irrespective of the results, they once again represented the school with distinction and we were very proud of their efforts.

While the weather may have been overcast in Toongabbie, the news wasn’t as promising for our netballers who travelled to International Peace Park in Blacktown for the netball gala day. The heavens opened quite early in the day and the torrential rain forced the tournament to be abandoned. Thinking that the students would have been quite upset to have had the day washed out, I went to talk to some of them- who told me it was one the best days ever. While they looked like they had returned from a swimming carnival, less so a netball event, they spoke of how much fun the day had been and how exciting it was being caught in the rain. There’s probably something insightful in that statement, but I’ll refrain from philosophical discussions for the time being. What I won’t refrain from is showering our students with praise for their behaviour. While Mrs Wills set about coordinating an early bus pick up, our students were incredibly responsible and trustworthy. They followed all instructions and helped Mrs Wills tremendously. They were wonderful ambassadors for our school and we should all be proud of the way they carried themselves throughout the day.

I would like to extend a huge thanks to both Mrs Wills and Miss Tobin for all their work in organising these opportunities for our students. The children will remember these events for a very long time- whether it be for the results, the weather or the friendships- and that is all thanks to the dedication of these two ladies. Can I also extend a huge thank you to the parents who provided assistance with transport for the Paul Kelly Cup. Your help meant that we didn’t need to pass on the additional cost of a bus. Thank you!

It wasn’t just our sporting superstars that were representing our school with such distinction- our student leaders have also been showcasing what a wonderful school we have here at KLPS. Our school captains, Harrison and Caitlin travelled to Quakers Hill Public School this week for the Quakers Hill Network Student Voice Initiative. Hosted by the Director, Educational Leadership Mrs Joanne Gardiner, student leaders from both primary and secondary schools came together to participate in the forum to ensure that student voice is not only captured across the region, but embraced, recognised and acted upon. Both Harrison and Caitlin spoke glowingly about the experience, but rather than me recount their experiences 2^nd hand, I’ve asked them to do it in their own words below!

Student success aside, I do have a couple of student administration requests.

Throughout the term we have seen an influx in the number of parents calling the office to pass messages onto their children about pick up arrangements. We completely understand that sometimes life/work throws curveballs and things need to change at the last minute and we are happy to support however we can. With that being said, we also want to minimise the number of times we interrupt student learning to pass on messages about departure routines. Wherever possible, I would encourage parents to ensure that children know where they are being picked up from before they come to school each day. This is not only to limit the number of interruptions during learning time, but it gives children a sense of safety and comfort to know what is happening come departure time (even if we know that they forget what you’ve said from time to time). We will always pass messages on, but please try to let children know pick up arrangements before school, and consider whether changes to arrangements need to be communicated to students (for example, a change in which parent/carer is picking them up). Thank you for your cooperation.

Along a similar vein, if students need to be collected during school time, I would encourage parents to consider bell times wherever possible. Students have a recess break from 11:00am to 11:20am, and a lunch break from 1:10pm to 2:00pm. During these break periods, it is often hard to locate students for collection as they don’t always hear their name above the playground noise when we page for them to come to the office. If you need to pick up a child for an appointment during a break time, please look at collecting them prior to the break starting. If this isn’t practical, just notify us that you will be collecting them early ahead of time and we can have them waiting in the office during the lunch/recess break. This request is as much about ensuring that you aren’t late to your appointments as anything, as I know how frustrating it is to have to wait for a child as we call them over the loudspeaker multiple times.

Now, with all that being said, I wanted to share some outstanding news about student attendance. Kings Langley PS has always had great student attendance data, which reflects the value our families put on a good education. While the data has always been good, this term has been exceptional! We always aim for a 95% attendance rate for all our students, recognising that students need to stay home when they are sick to prevent illness from spreading. We usually fall just short of this mark, but I’m thrilled to report that we have managed to accomplish that result in Term 1. Great job! While it is likely that there will be more student absences in the cooler months, I want to thank all of our families for supporting school attendance to ensure that our students get the very best education possible.

This past week we have welcomed parents into the school for parent/teacher interviews. Our partnership with our parents is critically important, and these meetings ensure that we are working together to support our students, your children. We enjoy sharing information on your child’s strengths and their next steps for development, whether they be around their academic results, work habits, citizenship within the school or social development. It was so wonderful to see that the majority of parents took the opportunity to come in. If you were unable to make an appointment for any reason, remember that we are always happy to meet and discuss your child’s progress. Simply contact the office and we will arrange a time for you to speak with your child’s teacher- either in person or over the phone if that is more convenient.

As we head into the school holidays, I know that parents are often looking for activities to keep the children occupied. We have been informed of a few exciting opportunities for families in the upcoming holidays.

The last day for students this term is next Friday the 11^th April. Teachers will return to school for Term 2 on Monday 28^th April, but our students’ first day is Wednesday the 30^th April. Mums, please make sure that you have put the 8^th May in your calendars as we would love to see you all at our annual Mothers’ Day breakfast, Muffins with Mum.

We are still accepting enrolments for Kindergarten 2026. If you or someone you know has a child who will be starting Kindergarten next year, please click the link below to complete an online enrolment form. If you have any questions about enrolment, please contact the office.

We arrived at Quakers Hill Public School on 26th of March to have a meeting with 20 different schools, 15 primary schools and 5 high schools. Mrs Gardiner, who is in charge of the Quakers Hill Network, ran the meeting. When we got there, we started to talk about transitions to high school or into primary school. There were big pieces of paper on the wall where we could write what was good about transitions, what wasn’t so good, what could be better and new ideas. There were lots of opinions from different captains in the area, and lots of new ideas. Some students suggested that they could add more programs for transitioning from primary school to high school and that they could add more support from teachers for students who are struggling with transitions. In the middle of the day, we ate morning tea and got to know the other schools and students. At the end of the day we voted on 2 representatives, 1 from high school, and 1 from primary school to represent the Quakers Hill Network at a higher level. 1 boy from high school and one girl from primary school were elected for the role. After we finished, we took some photos with all of the students and we came back to the school at around 11:45. Overall it was a fun and eventful day full of lots of different opinions from different schools. We really enjoyed hearing different opinions from other schools, and representing our own school. We are looking forward to attending the next meeting and discussing other topics.

Harrison S and Caitlyn S
School Captains

Congratulations to the following students on earning their PBL Award. Well Done!

Saturday & Sunday 14-15th June 2025 the NSW Talent Enrichment Weekend MindQuest will be held for primary students from Years 1-6 at St George Girls High School. These include gifted and high potential students, gifted underachievers and students with above average ability with a special interest. Students will have an opportunity to participate in over 33 exciting, fast paced courses in the two-day program. They include courses in chemistry, earth sciences, Lego robotics, art and much more. Many of these highly successful courses have been run in the past and students’ evaluations suggest that they have been challenged and enriched by the experience. The cost of the weekend is $245 (including GST).

MindQuest is now enrolling online at mindquest.net.au

Closing Date: Friday 23rd May 2025 Shelagh Poray: 02 9748 1084

Please ask at the front KLPS front office for a brochure