Newsletter | Term 3 Week 4

Principal Message

Bullying No Way 

This week, our school joined communities across Australia in the National Week of Action against Bullying.

This year's theme is Be Bold. Be Kind. Speak Up.

Our commitment to fostering a safe and inclusive environment was showcased through a range of engaging activities designed to promote kindness, empathy, and respect among our students.

Throughout the week, all classes participated in lessons aimed at raising awareness about bullying and its impacts. One of the highlights was the creation of a vibrant handprint display, symbolising our collective pledge to stand against bullying. Each handprint represents our students’ commitment to making our school a safe place for everyone.

In addition to classroom activities, our Stage 2 students participated in informative webinars with the eSafety Commissioner. These sessions focused on helping students recognise and describe the online social skills of being kind, empathetic, and respectful. They explored actions that promote inclusion and learned effective help-seeking strategies to address harmful cyberbullying situations.

Similarly, our Stage 3 students engaged in their own webinars, aimed at deepening their understanding of online interactions. These sessions emphasised the positive influence of empathy and respect on friendships, as well as strategies for being upstanders in the digital world. Students also explored how to access support pathways and identify trusted adults to help them navigate challenges online.

The knowledge and skills gained from these activities empower our students to not only protect themselves but also to support their peers in creating a positive school culture. We are proud of our students’ participation and their commitment to standing up against bullying.

Together, we can create a safe and supportive environment for all. Let’s continue to work towards a culture of respect and inclusion, not just during this week, but every day. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this week a success.

Student Representative Council

What an honour it was to see students across a wide range of year groups present their ideas for school improvement to the P&C on Tuesday night.

Our SRC has been revamped this year and is led by Mr Cox along with the School Captains, Vice-Captains, and Prefects. I can confidently say that the current student leadership team has been exceptional in leading the school and supporting other students in the SRC by providing much needed student voice.

SRC representation is a semester long process where students are voted in to represent their individual classes. There was a small extension for the first semester students due to that cohort finalising their work to present at the recent P&C meeting.

New SRC leaders will be voted in by classes in the coming weeks. The SRC provides an opportunity for students with potential in the socio-emotional domain to develop their skills. If you think your child would be interested, encourage them to speak up when their class self-nominates and votes for SRC representatives.

Thank you to the P&C

At Tuesday’s P&C meeting, our SRC students voiced their needs for a variety of resources to enhance their growth, development, and learning environments. We are incredibly grateful to the P&C for their generous commitment of over  $36,000 to support teaching and learning across our school.

In addition, the P&C is excited to be hosting the upcoming Colour Run fundraiser. Proceeds from this fun and vibrant event will go towards upgrading the furniture in our library, creating a more inviting space for all students. We warmly encourage every student and family to participate and help make this day memorable and impactful.

Thank you once again to the P&C for their ongoing dedication and support—together, we are making a difference in our students’ educational experience!

New School Website

Our school’s website is getting a fresh new look as part of the NSW Department of Education’s ongoing efforts to ensure school websites are modern, engaging, and informative for parents, carers, and our wider community.

The upgrade focuses on sleek, contemporary design combined with enhanced ease of use. This improvement comes in response to valuable feedback from schools seeking a simpler platform, as well as insights into what families consider important when exploring school options. Our school is collaborating closely with the department’s website team to bring this new experience to life.

Our revamped website will be launching Monday 18 August. 

As we roll out the new site, we consider it a work in progress! We warmly invite families and carers to share their thoughts and suggestions with us to help shape ongoing improvements. Your feedback is essential to ensure the website truly meets the needs of our entire school community.

Morning Supervision

Please note that our school playground is not supervised until 8:30am. We have noticed an increase in students arriving as early as 8:00am, and we kindly encourage families to consider using our OOSH program for early drop-off.

For those students who may arrive just before 8:30am, we ask that they sit under the COLA until the bell rings. This will help ensure their safety while waiting for the school day to begin.

Nick Garner
Rel. Principal 

Celebrating Success: Mason from 2M

Each day, our teachers witness incredible journeys of learning and growth. We’d like to celebrate Mason from 2M, an inspiring example of persistence and determination in mathematics.

Mason thrives on tackling challenging maths problems and consistently demonstrates persistence. One of the complex problems he recently worked on involved determining the total number of legs in a restaurant. The challenge required him to consider the legs of tables, chairs, and people. This problem was perfect for testing his multiplicative strategies and logical thinking.

Mason is able to use advanced strategies that are beyond his years. He actively seeks and applies advice to refine his approach and deepen his understanding.

It is truly rewarding to witness this student growth in our classrooms daily. Mason’s willingness to learn from mistakes and his determination to succeed serve as an inspiration. He is just one of the many dedicated learners in our school community.

Early Stage 1

 Literacy

At home, you can consolidate your knowledge of sounds by writing words that contain the sounds in chalk outside, using water and a paint brush or using different colour pencils. If you would like to challenge yourself, try using words with the weekly sounds in sentences! For example, I can see the moon. Don’t forget capital letters, full stops, and finger spaces when writing.

Over the next four weeks, our English Language Arts Unit is all about the ‘5 Senses’. These senses are sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. In this topic study, children are given the opportunity to make and record observations using their senses.

Numeracy

The next two weeks are all about patterns! We are learning to:

• copy, continue, and create patterns in a variety of forms
• Identify part-whole relationships in numbers up to 10
• Use visual representation to assist in combining and separating quantities.

At home, find a collection of items, toys, cutlery, or natural items, and think about their attributes. The next step is to make a pattern. We know that a pattern has a repeating core.

Geography

This term is all about important places. Our key inquiry questions are;

• What are places like?
• What makes a place special?
• How can we look after the places we live in?

At home, you can talk about the places students live in and belong to. What makes these places special? How is this different for different people? We are exploring maps as a geographical tool. You might like to use Google Maps to look at different views of your home or other special places.

Sport

This term, we are learning the skills we need for the Infants' Sports Carnival in week 9. We are focusing on sprinting, throwing, and leaping skills, as well as learning about how relays work. We hope to see you there!

Kirrilly Katen
Early Stage 1 Assistant Principal

Stage 1

It’s hard to believe we are almost halfway through term 3!  As we look ahead, there are many exciting events planned for the upcoming weeks.

Next week, we will kick off Book Week, where we will celebrate the joy of reading. I hope you have your costumes organised, as we look forward to a magnificent day.  In Week 6, we will also celebrate Father’s Day. Following that, Stage 1 will embark on an adventure to the Hunter Valley Wildlife Park. Students will learn about wildlife and conservation, making this excursion both fun and educational.

Lastly, mark your calendars for our Infants' Sports Carnival! This event will showcase our young athletes and their skills in a fun, exciting, and supportive environment.

I want to extend my gratitude to our dedicated teachers who are working tirelessly to bring these events to life. We are excited to make the rest of this term memorable!

English phonic focus    

Mathematics

In mathematics, Year 1 will be introduced to making and using equal groups.

They will be provided with opportunities to:

• Model and use equal groups of objects to represent multiplication
• Use arrays to distinguish between the number of groups and the number in each group when describing collections of objects
• Solve multiplication and division problems using objects, diagrams, images, and actions.

In Year 2,  students will develop their knowledge, understanding, and skills of making and using equal groups.

They will be provided with opportunities to:

• Distribute a collection of objects equally into a given number of groups to determine how many are in each group
• Identify, form, rotate, and name arrays using equal rows and equal columns to solve multiplication and division problems
• Use counting strategies to find the total, for example, skip counting, counting on, or double facts
• Use various representation of diagrams, images, or objects to model and solve multiplication and division problems.

Celebration

On Wednesday, 13 August,  Year 1 students celebrated a special milestone—111 days of Year 1! The number 111 holds a special significance, as it represents 1 hundred, 1 ten, and 1 unit—a perfect fit for Year 1. To commemorate this day, we organised a variety of engaging activities that brought smiles and laughter to everyone involved. Students engaged in a lot of fun activities, including: building with 111 objects, painting 111, mindfulness pin pushing to 111, music, active play and teamwork, fitness trail to 111, snakes and ladders (with a twist to play to 111), scavenger hunt, ordering numbers, and DIY commemorative wristbands.

You could ask your child about their favourite part of the day and the fun they had with their friends. It's been a fantastic opportunity to celebrate their achievements and continue building a love for learning.

Elleina Martinez
Stage 1 Assistant Principal

Stage 2

Term 3 is off to a flying start. As part of National Science Week, 3/4O took part in an online webinar with Dr Karl Kruszelnicki. They had an exciting opportunity to ask their most curious, quirky, or challenging science questions. Dr Karl explored fascinating topics like how nature communicates through patterns, numbers, and even quantum science. The aim of the session was to encourage curiosity and wonder which should continue this term as students explore the topic of heat.

All Stage 2 students participated in a live, interactive Virtual Classroom webinar on Wednesday afternoon, designed especially for Year 3 and 4. They explored online friendships and cyberbullying through relatable school scenarios. Students learned how to check in on a friend and show kindness, respect, and empathy to build more positive peer relationships online. This initiative is part of the 2025 Bullying No Way campaign. In classrooms, each student will decorate an outlined hand as their pledge to prevent bullying and to uphold the Floraville Public School values.  

4L enjoyed the sunshine this week to practise their hockey skills. They are learning to develop their fitness, coordination, and teamwork skills. Games such as hockey encourage quick thinking, strategic decision-making, and communication. Throughout the term, students will have the opportunity to learn about games that promote an active lifestyle.

Students from 4/5D have been enjoying their attitude-gratitude journal writing. It is a simple way for students to reflect on the positive things in their lives. By writing down ideas from a prompt, they can develop a more optimistic mindset and strengthen their emotional wellbeing. Sophie, Molly, and Arie were proud of their entry about the importance of kindness, patience, and forgiveness.

Jax, Harry, and Nate were keen to share their descriptions of the character ‘Strong John’ from the novel The Rowan of Rin. In the story, John has an intimidating appearance, but he is kind-hearted and protective of those around him. As Harry wrote: ‘The villagers respect Strong John because he is very demanding and muscley. When he speaks, he speaks loud and proud’.

Year 4 camp is quickly approaching. This week, a packing list and social story was sent out via School Bytes. Students will also have a brief meeting at school to outline the activities and provide an opportunity to have their questions answered.

Adam O’Shannessy
Stage 2 Assistant Principal

Stage 3

Science

What an action-packed couple of weeks it has been for Stage 3. This week, our students came together to celebrate National Science Week, immersing themselves in the wonders of science. Each class engaged in hands-on experiments related to our Forces unit of study, fostering curiosity and a deeper understanding of scientific principles. This experience not only ignited a passion for exploration but also encouraged collaboration and critical thinking among students. It was a wonderful morning filled with excitement for both staff and students, showcasing the importance of science education in shaping inquisitive minds for the future.

Bullying - No Way

On Thursday, Stage 3 came together to participate in National No Bullying Week, under the theme "Bullying - No Way." This initiative aims to raise awareness about the impact of bullying and promote a safe and supportive school environment for all students. As part of our activities, Stage 3 engaged in an interactive online program that encouraged them to explore the different forms of bullying, understand its effects, and learn effective strategies for prevention and intervention. The discussions surrounding this important topic also highlight the value of families talking openly about bullying, as it strengthens understanding and support at home. By fostering these conversations, we empower our students to recognise and address bullying, creating a more compassionate community both inside and outside of school.

Game Changer Challenge Stage 3: Design Sprint

I am thrilled to share that this year, Floraville PS is taking part in the 2025 Game Changer Challenge, which is also a part of our school's HPGE (High Potential Gifted Education) program. Students work through two stages: first, researching a real-world problem, and then designing a solution. Each team creates a design portfolio to showcase their journey, culminating in a video pitch that will be judged by industry experts. Twenty teams will make it to the grand final! It's a fantastic way for our students to apply what they learn in the classroom to solve real issues. This week, I had the pleasure of seeing our Stage 3 students dive into this challenge in the library, and their enthusiasm and engagement were truly inspiring under the guidance of the enthusiastic Mr Tassell. We can’t wait to see their creativity in action!

6N

In their PDH (Personal Development and Health) unit, 6N is learning why being healthy is important. Being healthy helps us feel good, have more energy, and do better in school and activities. It also keeps our bodies strong and helps prevent sickness. To understand how to make good choices for their health, 6N used scenario cards in class. These cards show different situations, and the students decide if the choices are healthy or unhealthy. This activity helped them think about their everyday decisions, like what to eat and how much to exercise. By talking about these scenarios, students learn to recognise healthy habits and how to make better choices for their health.

6C

In our unit Fake News, 6C worked on analysing scientific articles to learn how to tell what information is true or misleading. The students started by picking different articles about science from trustworthy sources. Then, they used a checklist to look for important details that show if an article is reliable, such as who wrote it, whether the author is an expert, and if there is evidence to support the claims made. They also talked about the difference between articles that share facts and those that give opinions, which helped them understand how to spot information that might be biased or misleading. After analysing the articles, each student shared what they found with the class, discussing why it is important to think carefully about the news we read.

5/6F

I had the pleasure of sitting in on one of 5/6F’s maths lessons last week, and it was an engaging and fun experience for everyone involved. The students were fully on task, displaying our school expectations of respect, responsibility, and resilience throughout the lesson. They were actively participating and collaborating with one another as they worked on developing their understanding of the mathematical concepts of translation, reflection, and rotation to describe transformations of two-dimensional shapes. It was wonderful to see their enthusiasm as they applied these terms in practical activities, demonstrating not only their growing knowledge but also their ability to think critically about how shapes change in space.

5A

In a recent lesson, 5A acted out scenes from their new novel, and it was a fun way to learn. As Stage 3 students, they used many important skills during this activity. First, they practised reading by understanding the story and the main characters’ feelings. This helped them think about why the characters act the way they do. The students also worked on their speaking and listening skills while performing together. They learned how to use their voices and body movements to make the story more interesting. By acting in groups, they learned how to work as a team, sharing ideas and helping each other. Overall, this fun activity made the novel more exciting and helped the students learn skills that will help them in the future.

Ryan Cox
Stage 3 Assistant Principal

Library

Book Week 2025

Book Parade

This year, we are excited to have a combined Infants and Primary Book Parade taking place from 9.20-11.00am on Wednesday, 20 August on The Flat! This special event is a wonderful opportunity for students across different year groups to come together and celebrate their love of books and creativity.

We encourage all students to participate enthusiastically, bringing their favourite book characters to life and enjoying this vibrant celebration of reading together!

Term 3 Scholastic Book Fair

Term 3 Scholastic Book Fair

Update: Fair extended until Friday, 22 August

Fair opening dates and times:

8.15–9am Monday 18 August – Friday 22 August

11-12.30pm Wednesday, 20 August (First break and session after the Book Parade)

Location: School library

Please refer to the timetable for scheduled class visits.

Please note: Similar to our last Book Fair, students will not complete wish lists prior to, or during visits to the fair, as there is ample opportunity to visit the fair throughout the week and make purchases during a visit. This avoids having students complete wish lists during a class visit, then finding their desired book is out of stock when they return to make a purchase.

Cash and card payments are accepted.

Thank you for your support, and we look forward to seeing you at the Book Fair!

Sam Tassell
Library Teacher

School News

Public Speaking

Our recent Public Speaking Competition was a fantastic success! All speeches were of an exceptionally high standard, showcasing the hard work, creativity, and confidence of our students. Each student delivered their speech with clarity and enthusiasm, impressing both the audience and making the job of our judges very difficult indeed. It was inspiring to see such a wide range of topics, from thought-provoking ideas to light-hearted stories, all delivered with passion. We are incredibly proud of every student who participated.

We are delighted to congratulate the following students who will be representing our school at the upcoming Zone Public Speaking Competition. Your outstanding performances have earned you this well-deserved opportunity.

Early Stage 1- Halle and James

Stage 1- Luca and Ivy

Stage 2- Macy and Anais

Stage 3- Miriama and Alba

We would like to extend our appreciation to the parents, teachers, and staff who supported our students throughout their preparation. Your guidance and encouragement have been invaluable.

We look forward to following the progress of our Floraville Public School representatives in the upcoming rounds.

Sports News

NSW PSSA Primary Girls Netball Championships

This week, two of our talented students, Indi and Mila, proudly represented Floraville Public School and the Hunter region at the NSW PSSA Primary Girls Netball Championships. The championships took place in Coffs Harbour, where teams faced the challenge of playing four intense games each day, with Mila co-captaining the squad.

Despite the tough competition, the Hunter team demonstrated exceptional skill and teamwork, managing to remain undefeated throughout the entire event and taking home the gold medal! Their impressive performance saw them winning most of their games by a remarkable margin of fifteen points. Indi and Mila both played crucial roles in their team's success, showcasing their dedication and passion for the sport. Congratulations to Indi and Mila on this outstanding achievement! Their hard work and sportsmanship have made us all incredibly proud.

In addition to the Hunter team's success, Indi was named in the State team, which will be competing in Ballarat later this year. Congratulations, Indi! What a fantastic way to cap off the championships!

PSSA Rugby Union

A huge congratulations to Isaiah, who represented Floraville and the Hunter PSSA at the NSW PSSA Rugby Union Championships last week. He played with speed and intensity in the very wet conditions, with the finals being cancelled due to the weather. At the end of the carnival, Isaiah and his Hunter team were placed equal third. We are very proud of you, Isaiah.

Girls' PSSA Touch Football

This week, the girls' PSSA Touch Football team travelled to Singleton to play in the Regional Quarter Finals. Singleton PS was a strong team and had several players who had played at higher levels.

Even though the game was tough, our team worked hard and showed great spirit. Sophie played really well and scored all three of our tries. In the end, Singleton PS won the game 8 to 3.

All the girls gave their best and should be proud of how they played. Congratulations on a great year.

Mrs Lindsay

Macquarie Cup Netball Update

Term 3 has certainly brought some challenging weather, with a wet start leading to a few washed-out games. Despite these setbacks, our girls have shown remarkable resilience, playing through all kinds of weather with determination and enthusiasm. It's been wonderful to witness the strong sportsmanship displayed across all five teams, with players supporting each other both on and off the court.

Throughout the season, our teams have been performing steadily, with many sitting comfortably towards the upper end of the ladder. This is a testament to their hard work, teamwork, and commitment. We look forward to seeing how the rest of the season unfolds and are proud of the positive spirit our players continue to bring to the competition.

Mrs Newton and Mrs Lindsay

K-2 Athletics Carnival - Save the Date

P&C News

📝 August P&C Meeting Highlights – Supporting Our Students' Voices

At this week’s P&C meeting, we had the pleasure of hearing from six students representing the Student Representative Council (SRC). These students spoke confidently and respectfully as they presented funding requests developed through consultation with all students across the school. We understand how daunting it can be to speak in front of a room full of adults, and we were incredibly impressed with the maturity and professionalism they showed.

We are thrilled to announce that the P&C has approved $38,000 in funding for student-requested resources. Thanks to your continued support, we are able to fund the following items:

$18,000 – Student laptops

$2,000 – Infant's sports equipment

$2,000 – Primary sports equipment

$5,700 – Wobble stools

$5,400 – Classroom bookshelves

$4,000 – Drum set/music equipment

$900 – Electric pencil sharpeners

These items will directly enhance student learning, creativity, and engagement across the school.

A big thank you to all our families who support P&C fundraising activities — from purchasing at the canteen and second-hand uniform shop to participating in events. It’s through these efforts that we’re able to provide valuable extras that enrich our children’s school experiences.

🎉 Exciting News: Government Volunteer Grant Awarded!

We’re also excited to share that our P&C has been awarded a $2,500 Government Volunteer Grant! This funding will boost our tech game, making life easier for our amazing volunteers.

With the grant, we’ll be able to purchase:

💳 An EFTPOS terminal for our 2nd-hand uniform shop and events

💻 A much-needed new computer for the canteen and P&C

A huge shout-out to our P&C executive for putting in the extra time to secure grants like this for our school. 🙌

If you spot any other grant opportunities, please drop us an email — every dollar helps our kids and community thrive!

🌈 Colour Run – Thursday, 25 September! 🎉

Information has gone home with students and via School Bytes on how to sign up — and you can share your profile page with family and friends to sponsor your child! Register now at www.myprofilepage.com.au. So far, 19% of students have created a profile page, and 10% of our Floraville students have started fundraising — let’s get to 100%! Raise just $10 to unlock your first prize.

The P&C will also reward the top 3 fundraising classes:
1️⃣ 1st place: Slime Ms Yeo & your teacher + pizza party lunch
2️⃣ 2nd place: Slime Mr Garner & your teacher + cupcakes for the class
3️⃣ 3rd place: Slime your teacher + ice blocks for the class

Currently, KD is in the lead, closely followed by 1S and 1H. Look out, Miss Dorman! Let’s see if the leaderboard changes next week!

The SRC requested $15,000 from the P&C to update library furniture and resources to create a more comfortable space for lessons and break times. While we weren’t able to fund this upfront, our Colour Run fundraising will directly support this goal. Let’s make it happen for all students from Kindergarten through Year 6!

🏢 Business Owners 

Want to sponsor this event or one of our Colour Run obstacles? Contact Cheryl, VP (Fundraising), at fpsfundraising1@gmail.com for more information.

🙋 Volunteers 

Take a roster or leave day and join the fun! Our last Colour Run in 2022 was a blast for students, teachers, and helpers alike. Don’t miss it!

🎁 P&C Father’s Day Stall – Friday, 29 August 2025

We are excited to celebrate all the superhero dads, step-dads, granddads, uncles, and role models in our kids’ lives! We require volunteers from 8-2pm to assist with setting up the stall, selling items to students, and packing up at the end of the day. We appreciate any time you can offer, whether for an hour or all day.

Please sign up to volunteer via our online link: Father’s Day Stall Volunteer Sign-Up.

🙋 Volunteers Needed 

 We currently do not have enough volunteers to proceed with the stall, so please consider taking some time to help out. It’s a fun day and very rewarding to help students choose those special gifts.

🍽️ Canteen Book Week Meal Deals are here!

Every time you purchase lunch from the canteen, your child will be entered into the draw to win a $5 Lucky Golden Ticket or an Ice Block voucher! Remind your children to check their lunch order bags to see if they are a winner!

Prizes include:

• Wednesday 13/8 to Thursday 21/8: Each day, one lucky winner from Infants and one from Primary will receive a $5 voucher to spend at next week’s School Book Fair!
• Extra Fun – Friday 22/8: Golden ticket winners will receive a free ice block voucher for the canteen!

Special Meal Deal Bonus:
Every student who purchases a specific Book Week Meal Deal between now and Wednesday, 20/8 will go into an extra lucky prize draw. The Grand Prize Draw will be held on Wednesday, 20/8, at the Book Week Parade. Two golden ticket winners (one Infants, one Primary) will each win a $15 voucher to spend at the Book Fair!

All prizes have been generously donated by the P&C Canteen. Don’t miss out—grab a Book Week meal deal and join the fun! Will you find a Golden Ticket?!?!

👕 2nd Hand Uniform Shop

📋 Survey

We are asking our school community to complete a quick survey about our 2nd Hand Uniform Shop. Even if you haven’t utilised the shop, we’d still love to hear your thoughts! Your feedback will help us understand what’s working well and what can be improved.

The survey takes less than 2 minutes to complete. Click here to take the survey!

Thank you for helping us make the uniform shop the best it can be for our school community!

Special Opening on Wednesday, 20 August!

We are excited to announce a special uniform shop opening on Wednesday, 20 August, from 8:30–9am and again from 11-11:30am, to coincide with the Book Week Parade.

For this day only, we will be offering cash sales, and we will also have our new EFTPOS machine ready to provide more streamlined sales. All items will be available for just $3 each on Wednesday, 20 August!

Pop in to see us before or after the parade; you’ll find us in the building between the office and the bottom playground.

If you are available to volunteer and assist on the day, please send us an email or message us on Facebook.

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in our school community!

🗓️ Upcoming P&C Dates for Your Calendar! 📅

📅Term 3 P&C Meetings: 9 September

👨‍👧Father’s Day Stall: Friday, 29 August 

🏃‍♀️Colour Run: Thursday, 25 September 

📅Term 4 P&C Meetings: 14 October and 11 November

Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details on these exciting events! 🎊

P&C Communication

Stay up to date with the latest P&C information and events.

📨Email us: fpspresident@gmail.com
🌍Visit our website: https://floravillepublicschoolpc.square.site/
📘 Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/p.c.floraville

Amanda Bailey  
P&C President on behalf of the P&C Committee

Community Newsletter

Please see Community Newsletter - Term 3 for upcoming holiday and vacation care information, and other community news and events.