Dundurrabin Public School Newsletter Term 2, Week 10, 2025

Principal's Message

Welcome to week 10

As we reflect on the past two weeks, I am filled with pride as I highlight the diverse range of learning opportunities our students have engaged in. It has been a bustling and enriching time here at Dundurrabin PS, showcasing our commitment to delivering a well-rounded education.

Our weekly Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden (SAKG) program continues to inspire our students, allowing them to learn about sustainability and healthy eating through hands-on gardening and cooking experiences. This initiative not only fosters a love for fresh produce but also equips our students with essential life skills.

In the realm of science, our learners have been actively engaged in exciting coding experiences, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills. These activities are integral to preparing our students for the future, where technology plays a pivotal role in everyday life.

We have also prioritised quality literacy and numeracy lessons, ensuring that our students build a strong foundation in these essential subjects. Each class is tailored to meet the individual needs of our learners, promoting growth and confidence in their abilities.

The integration of STEM learning into our curriculum is vital in preparing our students for future challenges. It ignites their curiosity and empowers them to ask questions, seek answers, and develop a lifelong love of learning. This interdisciplinary approach not only enhances our students' scientific understanding but also encourages critical thinking and collaboration. 

Music has been another highlight, with students exploring their creativity through various musical experiences. This engagement not only enhances their artistic skills but also contributes to their overall well-being.

I am particularly proud of our Gumbaynggirr language lessons, which celebrate our local Indigenous culture. This initiative enriches our students' understanding of the world around them and fosters respect for Australia’s first peoples.

Our Eco Art Challenge has encouraged students in 3-6 to express their creativity while raising awareness about environmental issues. It has been wonderful to see their innovative ideas come to life through art.

Additionally, the participation in the Investigating Mathematics competition K-12 has provided targeted students with the opportunity to apply their mathematical skills in real-world scenarios, promoting a deeper understanding of the subject.

For the youngest learners in our community, our comprehensive transition program is in full swing, ensuring a smooth transition into school life. We are dedicated to providing them with the support they need to thrive in this new environment.

Thank you for your continued support of Dundurrabin PS. Together, we are creating an engaging and dynamic learning environment for our students.

Have a great last week of term and a fabulous Winter holiday!

Katrina Sangster

Every Day Matters

Please remember to explain all days your child is away from school. You can do this in person, by phoning the school, or by sending a text to the school mobile at 0411 939 188. Thank you for your cooperation!

What's on for Term 2 & 3

• Wednesday 2 July - Gubi Gabun Playgroup - 10am to 12 noon                                                                                                                                           & Term 2 Assembly & Adults V Students Athletics - 2.00pm
• Friday 4 July - Last day of term 

Term 3

• Monday 21 July - Staff Development Day
• Tuesday 22 July - Students return to school
• Wednesday 23 July - Kindergarten Transition 1.30pm to 3.15pm
• Friday 25 July - Small Schools Athletic Carnival - Bellingen HS - All day (Student 8 years & above)
• Tuesday 29 July - P&C Special Spaghetti Bolognese Lunch Order Day
• Wednesday 30 July - NAIDOC on the Plateau - Dorrigo High School                                                                                                                                & Gubi Gabun - 10am to 12noon - Dundurrabin PS
• EDUCATION WEEK - "Reimaging Education for Better Futures"
• Monday 4 August - P&C Meeting - 4pm
• Tuesday 5 August - District Athletics - Urunga Recreational Sports Grounds
• Wednesday 6 August - Kindergarten Transition 1.30pm to 3.15pm
• SCIENCE WEEK - "Decoding the Universe - Exploring the Unknown with Natures Hidden Language"
• Tuesday 12 August - Combined Small Schools Science Day - Dundurrabin PS
• Wednesday 13 August - Gubi Gabun Playgroup- 10am to 12noon -Dundurrabin PS
• BOOK WEEK - "Book An Adventure"
• Tuesday 19 August - Book Week Parade "Book An Adventure" - 9.15am
• Wednesday 20 August - Kindergarten Transition 1.30pm to 3.15pm
• Wednesday 27 August - Gubi Gabun Playgroup 10am to 12noon -Dundurrabin PS
• Wednesday 3 September - Kindergarten Transition - 9am to 12noon
• Wednesday 10 September - Gubi Gabun Playgroup - 10am to 12noon -Dundurrabin PS
• Wednesday 17 September - Kindergarten Transition - 11.30am to 3.15pm
• Wednesday 24 September - Gubi Gabun Playgroup - 10am to 12 noon                                                                                                                                           & Term 3 Assembly & Adults V Students Sport Game - 2.00pm
• Thursday 25 September - School Photos

Holiday Break

This Friday 4 July is the last day of term 2.

Staff will return on Monday 21 July for a School Development Day.

Students will return on Tuesday 22 July 2025.

We hope all families have a relaxed and safe holiday break. Stay well and healthy and we will see you all back at school in term 3.

Consent Notes to be Returned

• Small Schools Athletic Carnival Consent Note - By Thursday 3 July
• NAIDOC Day Consent Notes - By Friday 4 July
• Special P&C Lunch Day Order & Money - By Tuesday 22 July 

Small Schools Athletic Carnival - Postponed

Due to the weather, our annual School’s Small Athletics Carnival has been postponed and will now be held on Friday 25 July at Bellingen High School Sports Oval starting at 9.15am and finishing at approximately 2.30pm.

Parental transport is needed for this event. Mr Williamson and will be attending on the day. They will be there from 8.40am.

Due to limited space at Bellingen High School, only competitive students aged 8 years and above will be eligible to compete.

K-2 students will remain here at school with Mrs Sangster as normal.

If your child/ren are interested in competing in the 1500m events, these races will be ran from 8.45am before the main carnival. Please let us know if your child is competing in this event.

All lunch orders will carry over to the upcoming date.

A new consent note is being sent home today, please return them by this Thursday 3 July.

3-6 Class - PG Movie Afternoon "Wonder"

This term 3-6 students have studied and read the novel "Wonder" during class. To follow up on this, we will be watching the PG rated movie "Wonder" this week. If you do not wish for you child to participate, please let us know by tomorrow morning. 

Term 2 Assembly & Sport Afternoon

We are excited to invite you to our Term 2 Assembly on Wednesday, July 2, at 2pm. Join us for an afternoon of celebration and fun as we showcase student achievements, present awards, and share some wonderful student work.

This assembly will also feature a friendly "Parents vs. Students" mini athletics carnival, where everyone can get involved and enjoy some light-hearted competition.

Term 2 Student Reports - this Wednesday

This term we are sending student reports home via email. Please ensure your email address is correct with school.

Reports will be emailed this Wednesday 2 July. Please let us know if you would still like a paper copy. 

Eco Art Recycling

Our students have been busy creating an art piece using recycled materials in the theme of "Preservation of the Ocean and it’s marine life".

An Exhibition will be held from 1^st - 20^th July  at Coffs Central Shopping Centre with our students art piece being on display.

This is a competition that is judged by votes, so if you are down at Coffs during these dates, please pop in and check out your child's art and vote for us! There is $3000 worth of prizes up for grabs!
People’s Choice – will be determined via an in-centre vote from the public throughout the entirety of the exhibition period. Runner Up Award – will be determined via an in-centre vote from the public throughout the entirety of the exhibition period. Gowings Choice Award – will be determined by Gowings' Chief Sustainability Officer. 

Our exhibition display is called:
3-6 Students- Dundurrabin Public School - Fake Plastic Ocean
"Our Ocean is a Sea of plastic. We have made a polluted Ocean with a ship made out of rubbish. This represents all the rubbish that pollutes the Ocean. To preserve our Oceans we need to recycle waste and find new ways to take plastic out of it. The Ocean is necessary for our survival and the animals that live in it. We should look after our Ocean because if we don’t we will not have fish to eat or a clean Ocean to swim in. If we don't save the Ocean we will regret it." 

School Bytes Parent Portal

What is the School Bytes Parent Portal?

The School Bytes Parent Portal offers convenience and flexibility, allowing you to: 

• Make online school payments, including payments for multiple siblings, simultaneously.
• Use a family credit to pay for an activity or school contributions.
• Download payment receipts.
• View all historical payments in one place.
• Complete and submit digital permission notes.
• View the status of all permission notes.
• Request a refund if necessary.

This service can be accessible at your convenience at any time, day or night.

Through the Parent Portal, you can easily download a receipt once a payment has been made and have access to view all historical payments when needed. Online payments are processed in real time and can be viewed by school staff immediately.

While our preference is for payments to be made via the portal, we will still accept payment via cash and cheque.

School Bytes – If you haven’t already done so, please see the Parent Portal information below  to connect to these new features. An email was sent home on Thursday 5 June with the link.

Attendance – The simplest way to explain your child’s absence from school will be through the Parent Portal of School Bytes. Once our SMS has been sent, please respond using either option provided so we can make sure all records are up to date. As always, if you’d like any support with attendance, we’re only a phone call, email or visit away.

An email was sent home previously. Please check your emails and follow the links so that we can get this up and running at Dundurrabin.

STEM - Skeletal

This term, our students have been exploring the incredible human body! We’ve delved into the skeletal system, discovering its amazing functions and learning about the various bones that support us.

We've also learnt about the heart and the complex network of vessels that transport blood and oxygen throughout our bodies, keeping us alive and thriving. Stay tuned for more discoveries!

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden News

Week 8

This week we continued with the Winter chores, weeding garden paths and hand raking leaves and wood chip.

We harvested eggs, garlic chives, parsley, capsicum, kale, silverbeet, leeks, celery, lemons and rhubarb. Many thanks to the McGuire and McLennan families for donations of chokos, lemons and avocados, and to the Tyler family for a donation of Dutch cream potatoes.

This week in the kitchen we cooked pikelets with a fresh warm rhubarb jam, potato and choko hash browns with avocado, pumpkin and feta mini frittatas, seared with a fresh fruit platter.

This week the cooking award goes to Bailey Freeman for fantastic fritter making!

Week 9

This week we swapped groups around and made great headway with weeding, raking and barrowing tasks around the school, taking advantage of the slkow rate of weed growth.

We harvested eggs and parsley. Many thanks to Laz for weekly donations of avocados.

In the kitchen we made Turkish Pide, with a variety of toppings including home made spiced mushroom mice and feta, ham and pineapple, and caspsicum and cabonossi. We also made mini upside down cakes for dessert. Yum!

This week the cooking award goes to Tom Duckett for displaying maturity and leadership bahaviour in the kitchen.

NAIDOC Day on the Plateau

All school students on the Plateau will be participating in NAIDOC celebrations at Dorrigo High School next term on Wednesday 30 July. 

The 2025 theme, "The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy," celebrates not only the achievements of the past but the bright future ahead, empowered by the strength of our young leaders, the vision of our communities, and the legacy of our ancestors. 

We will catch the town bus to Dorrigo High School and home from Dorrigo High School in the afternoon. The cost of the bus will be $2.00 per student. There will be no cost for the activities on the day. Mrs Sangster will accompany students on the town bus to and from Dorrigo High School to Tyringham Store.

Students who normally catch Wykes bus will need to catch the High School bus run and return home on the High School bus run. All others students will need to be at Tyringham Store at 7.45am ready to board the town bus and be collected at the Tyringham Store at 3.50pm.

Students will need to wear full school uniform (sport shirt), appropriate footwear, hat and bring water bottles, packed recess and lunch. There will be no food available on the day.

2026 Kindergarten Transition - Robots

As our little ones prepare for kindergarten, we’re excited to introduce them to coding and creative activities like making robot art! We aim to make the transition special with engaging projects that spark curiosity and creativity.

Coding helps kids learn problem-solving and critical thinking. It’s not just about computers; it’s about teaching new ways to think. Using games and simple activities, we show them coding in a fun way.

Below is a poster with all our Term 3 dates coming up.

Gubi Gabun - This Wednesday 18 June.

P&C Special Spaghetti Bolognese Lunch Day

We will have a special "Spaghetti Bolognese and Cookie" lunch day on Tuesday 29 July.  Lunch orders are being sent home today. Please return them with money by Tuesday 22 July (Week 1-Term 3). Thank you.

Combined Schools Science Day

Dundurrabin PS will be hosting a combined schools Science Day here on Tuesday 12 August (Week 4) next term. A lunch order form will be sent home with your child/ren next term. More information next newsletter.

Book Week Parade

We will be holding our Book Week Parade on Tuesday 19 August- week 5 next term.  This year's Book week theme is "Book an Adventure". The Book Parade will start 9.15am. Parents and friends are invited to attend. This year marks the 80th anniversary of Children's Book Week. The theme encourages children to see reading as a way to explore new worlds and possibilities. 

Upcoming Events in Term 3: Daily Skipping and Annual Chess Competition

As we move into Term 3, we are excited to announce two engaging activities that will enhance our students' physical and cognitive skills: Daily Skipping and our Annual Chess Competition.

Daily Skipping Program
Starting next term, we will be launching our Daily Skipping program! This initiative aims to promote physical fitness and coordination among our students while having fun. Skipping is an excellent cardiovascular workout that helps improve agility, balance, and endurance. Students will participate in daily skipping sessions during recess, where they can practice individual skills or join in group activities. We encourage all students to take part, as skipping is a fantastic way to stay active and energised throughout the day. Additionally, we will be holding a special Skipping Showcase towards the end of the term, where students can demonstrate their skills and creativity with skipping routines.

Annual Chess Competition
We are also thrilled to announce our Annual Chess Competition, which will take place next term! This event provides an excellent opportunity for students to develop critical thinking, strategy, and sportsmanship. Whether your child is a seasoned player or a beginner, we welcome all skill levels to join in the fun. The competition will be held over several weeks, with students competing in a friendly yet challenging environment. Students will have the chance to learn from each other, improve their skills, and enjoy the camaraderie that comes with playing chess.

We look forward to an exciting Term 3 filled with activity, learning, and plenty of fun!

Year 6 Sydney Excursion

Our Year 6 students have been invited to join with Dorrigo, Hernani and Chandler Public School on an excursion to Sydney from October 20 to October 24, 2025 (Week 2 - Term 4).

The total cost of the excursion will be $650-$700 per student. The school will contribute $100 towards the cost per student as well as the P&C has kindly donated $50.00 per student, reducing the remaining cost per student to $500-$550. There will be some fundraising opportunities that can be utilised to help reduce your child's cost.

Planning is well underway. More updates when everything is locked in.

2025 Learning Contributions - SAKG Fees

Student invoices / Statement of Accounts are being sent home today with your child/ren.  Thank you to our families that have already paid theirs.

P&C News and Community News

P&C Meeting - Monday 4 August

Our next P&C meeting will be held on Monday 4 August at 4pm. It would be wonderful if we could have as many people as possible attend. This is a great opportunity to find out about and get involved with what is happening within the school. Please come along, share a cuppa and enjoy a relaxed and friendly gathering. We’d love to see more faces for new ideas and support.