Dear Parents and carers,
What a wonderful term we have had so far, inside and outside the classroom. One hundred days of Kindergarten, Incursions, Education Week, NAIDOC Week and the list goes on.
Congratulations to our debating team who have had another win, debating against Hampden Park Public School. We are looking for to Karim from Stage 3 competing at the Regional Multicultural Speaking competition at the Arts Unit, Lewisham. Karim will be competing against speakers from across the region from Strathfield, Berala, Campbeltown and Casula to name just a few.
A school like Punchbowl Public School strives to give the best opportunities to all our student and this involves a great deal of behind-the-scenes preparation and organisation, as well as the passion and commitment of our school staff. Our vision of creating an inclusive, diverse and collaborative community which supports life-long learning.
All our teachers are participating in their own professional learning this term, familiarising themselves with the new Mathematics and English curriculums K-2 that will be implemented in 2023. We are collaborating in teams and working through micro learning modules to become aware of changes in content and teaching strategies. The new curriculum will give students more time to focus on key learning areas so that they can acquire a deeper understanding of central concepts. It will ensure students develop strong foundations for learning, life and work in a complex and fast-changing world. More information for parents can be found on the NESA wesbite.
The NSW Department of Education have a target of ensuring all NSW public school students are at school 90% or more of the time. Currently we only have 56% of our students reaching this benchmark. We understand illness has kept many students away from school and we thank you for following the health advice. Unless your child is unwell or has a very good reason for not being at school students must be in attendance daily.
At Punchbowl Public School we continue to work closely with our school community to ensure that students are at school learning each day. You will already be aware that the school sends SMS messages for parents to request explanation of absences, class teachers are making phone calls home to follow up on non-attendance and meetings with families are being held to provide support when needed. We have lots of work to do together to ensure that our attendance improves and that students are at school to access the learning. Please reach out by calling the office and making an appointment to speak to the class teacher.
Last week, I was privileged to visit our School as a Community Centre and see the very important work happening their for our parents and families. The ‘Step into Work’ program was in full swing, with many mums working together to learn about transitioning into the work place. There was a great deal of positivity and confidence in the room. Thank you to Asenati for leading the way.
Donna McGeary
Principal
