Dundurrabin Public School Newsletter Term 2, Week 4, 2025

Principal's Message

Welcome to week 4.

 Congratulations to Melissa!

I am excited to share that Melissa has been successful in gaining the part-time School Administration Manager role at Dorrigo Public School for the rest of 2025. 

Melissa will now be working across the two schools with her days at Dundurrabin being each Tuesday, Thursday, and every second Monday. Congratulations, Melissa!

Congratulations to Our Students!

Congratulations to all the students who participated in the recent Finlayson Sports Cup. Your dedication and effort were truly commendable, and we are proud of the sportsmanship and teamwork displayed by everyone.

A special thank you to our parents for their participation and support. Your encouragement made a significant difference and contributed to a wonderful atmosphere at the event.

We are delighted to report excellent results across the board, showcasing the hard work and commitment of our students. A full list of results is included further in this newsletter.

Reporting to Parents - Information for Families

From Term 2 2025, we’re introducing updated school reports. The new format has been developed by the NSW Department of Education in response to feedback from parents and educators to make reports easier to read and understand.

Your child’s report will still show their progress across all subject areas. Teacher comments will appear in English, mathematics and the general comment section, in line with department policy. A new achievement scale and descriptions are included to provide a clearer picture of your child’s progress.

Our three-way, parent/student/teacher interviews will remain an important way to discuss your child’s progress and achievement in more detail. We welcome your feedback about the new report format, and encourage you to contact the school if you have any questions.

NSW Public Schools Surveys

In Term 2, we are offering our students in years 3-6 the opportunity to participate in the NSW Public Schools Student Survey. The survey 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.

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.

Participation is voluntary. If you prefer your child not to participate, please complete the opt-out consent form, which will be sent home, and return it to the school. Further information about the survey is available at https://education.nsw.gov.au/npss

GRIP Leadership Day

I am excited to spend this Thursday with our Year 6 school captains at the GRIP Leadership Conference in Coffs Harbour. It will be a wonderful opportunity for our students to develop their leadership skills.

Stay tuned for an update after this special event!

Leah Keough

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

• Wednesday 21 May - Gubi Gabun Playgroup - 10am to 12 noon                                                                                                                                           & Simultaneous Storytime - 12 noon
• Thursday 22 May - Year 6 Grip Leadership Conference - Coffs Harbour
• Tuesday 3 June - P&C Special Lunch Day
• Wednesday 4 June - Gubi Gabun Playgroup - 10am to 12 noon
• Monday 9 June - Kings Birthday Public Holiday
• Wednesday 11 June - Kindergarten Transition Program - 1.30pm to 3.15pm
• Monday 16 June - P&C Meeting - 4pm
• Wednesday 18 June - Gubi Gabun Playgroup - 10am to 12 noon
• Thursday 19 June - P&C Pizza Night
• Tuesday 24 June - P&C Special Lunch Day
• Wednesday 25 June - Kindergarten Transition Program - 1.30pm to 3.15pm
• Tuesday 1 July - Small Schools Athletic Carnival - Bellingen HS - All day (Student 8 years & above)
• Wednesday 2 July - Gubi Gabun Playgroup - 10am to 12 noon                                                                                                                                           & Term 2 Assembly & Adults V Students Sport Game - 2.00pm

Consent Notes to be Returned

• Special Lunch Order - By Monday 26 May

Fortnightly Awards

Term 2 - Week 4

K-2 Class

Beth Green for accurate measuring during length lessons.

3-6 Class

Henry Tyler for impressive technical skills when making a stop motion clip.

Yr 6 - Grip Leadership Conference - Thursday

Year 6 students will be attending a Student Leadership Conference at Coffs Harbour Racing Club this Thursday 22 May. The conference will be very worthwhile and informative for our school leaders.  

The school is paying the cost of each student - $39.00. Students must wear full school uniform on the day and bring a packed recess, lunch, drinks, hat and jumper as well as a pen to write with (a notebook will be provided on the day) Leadership badges will be available on the day in many designs for $3 each or 2 for $5 if students would like to purchase some. 

Students will need to arrive at Coffs Harbour Racing Club by 8.45am and the day should finish approximately at 2.30pm. Parental transport will be needed for this excursion. 

Mrs Keough will meet the students at the Racecourse and accompany them throughout the conference. 

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden News

Week 2

This week we took advantage of the break in the weather and did some marching, relay, discus and shotput practice instead of gardening, to preparation for Finlayson Cup.

We harvested shallots, eggs, zucchini, garlic chives, parsley, parsnips, lettuce and capsicum. 

This week in the kitchen we made vegetable lasagne, including fresh pasta sheets and a creamy bechamel sauce, herb, garlic and cheese pull apart bread, waffle parsnip fritters, and some fresh pineapple for dessert. Katherine also made some Anzac biscuits for an attendance treat.

This week the cooking award goes to Henry Tyler, for being a dedicated, mature and inclusive leader in the kitchen, even at clean up time!  

Week 3

The continued wet weather meant the ground was too wet for gardening again, this week. Everyone continued working on their fruit and vegetable vase designs which are close to being complete.

We harvested shallots,  eggs, parsley, basil, kale and silverbeet.

In the kitchen we made fresh ricotta to add into our mini frittata bites, crusty bread rolls, pesto dip with carrot crudites, carrot and zucchini fritters, and date and chocolate energy balls with some fresh fruit. 

This week the cooking award goes to Carter Freeman, for amazing skills rolling chocolate balls and being a responsible learner in the kitchen. Well done!

Great Job at the Finlayson Cup!

On Wednesday, 14 May, our students attended the Finlayson Cup at Chandler Public School. We are very proud to say that our students did an amazing job in the marching event, finishing in 2nd place!

A special shout-out goes to Bailey, who won the Reserve Senior Boy Champion award. Great work, Bailey!

We also want to congratulate all our students for showing great team spirit and sportsmanship. You cheered for and congratulated all the competitors, which made the day even better.

Overall, our school placed 5th in the cup standings, which is a fantastic achievement. Let’s keep up the good work and continue to support each other in all our activities!

Results:

Tyler- 2nd place age race

Beth- 3rd place age race

Tom- 3rd place age race

Jack- 3rd place age race and 1st place discus

Jaxon- 2nd place shot put, 2nd place long jump, 3rd place age race

Bailey- 1st place long jump, 2nd place discus, 2nd place 800m, 3rd place high jump, 3rd place shot put and overall reserve senior boy champion.

Walk Safely to School Update

Unfortunately, we could not take part in the Walk Safely to School event on Friday because of the bad weather. However, we still had a great time enjoying a warm pancake breakfast at school!

A big thank you to our P&C for providing the ingredients for the breakfast. It was a lovely way to start the day together!

Gumbaynggirr Language Lessons

During our language lessons with Lesley, we have been exploring the fascinating world of old-fashioned sayings. One intriguing example is "pull up a stump," which means to take a seat. This expression evokes imagery of a rustic setting where individuals would gather and relax, inviting others to join them in a friendly and informal manner.

Old-fashioned sayings not only enrich our vocabulary but also provide a glimpse into the cultural values and traditions of the past. They often reflect the lifestyles and experiences of earlier generations, making our language lessons both informative and engaging.

National Simultaneous Storytime

We will be participating in National Simultaneous Storytime this Wednesday, May 21, at 12 noon. This important annual campaign encourages young children to read and enjoy books. Each year, a picture book written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator is read at the same time in libraries, preschools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops, and many other locations across Australia, New Zealand, and the world.

This year’s chosen book is “The Truck Cat,” written by Deborah Frenkel and illustrated by Danny Snell.

A special Invitation for children starting school in 2026

Gubi Gabun - This Wednesday 21 May

P&C Special Lunch Day

We are having a sausage sizzle and ice-cream special lunch day on Tuesday 3 June. Please return your child/rens lunch orders and money by Monday 26 May. It is appreciated and makes organising easier when all orders and money are in on time. Thank you. 

Small Schools Athletic Carnival

Our annual School’s Small Athletics Carnival will be held on Tuesday 1st of July at Bellingen High School Sports Oval starting at 9.30am and finishing at approximately 2.30pm.

We will be asking for parent transport for this event. 

Due to limited space at Bellingen High School. Only competitive students aged 8 years and above will be eligible to compete. Novelty events will not be held. 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 will be ran at 9am before the main carnival. Please let us know if your child is competing in this event.

Consents will be sent home soon.

Positive Partnerships Autism Workshop- 25 June in Coffs Harbour

Positive Partnerships is a government funded program that offers free neuro-affirming workshops to parents/carers of autistic young people, including those on the pathway to identification. A one day workshop is coming up in Coffs Harbour. 

2025 Learning Contributions - SAKG Fees

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

P&C News and Community News

Mothers Day Raffle

Congratulations to Leanne Sinclair who was the lucky winner of our P&C Mothers Day raffle. Thank you to everyone who supported the raffle and bought some tickets.

P&C Firewood Raffle

The P&C are having a firewood raffle this term. Tickets are being sent home today. Tickets will be $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00. All tickets and money will need to be back at school by Monday 30 June. The raffle will be drawn at our Term 2 Assembly, Wednesday 2 July.

P&C Meeting - Monday 16 May

Our next P&C meeting will be held on Monday 16 May 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.