20 March 2025
Principal
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
As we ease into autumn, I hope you’re still enjoying the extra available daylight in the evenings – a great opportunity for a leisurely walk, a swim or a surf in this beautiful part of Sydney. A reminder that from Sunday 6 April, we will see darker evenings (and lighter mornings) when daylight savings officially ends.
The big week of the Colour Run is finally upon us. As of writing on Tuesday 18 March, our students and families have raised over $60,000 which is simply spectacular. I have every reason to believe that the final total will be substantially higher again. A huge thank you in advance for all the support you have given the school and, in particular, our P&C whose fundraiser this is. The funds raised will go towards a variety of wellbeing initiatives that will benefit students across the school (see our last newsletter for more details).
We added some more fun into the build-up to the big day by sliming our four school captains and Ms Daisy Hodgson in front of the whole school on Tuesday afternoon. If we reach our target of $75,000, the students will be able to get their ‘revenge’ on Friday and slime a teacher from each grade, plus yours truly, at the end of the Colour Run.
Parents are welcome to come and watch the event from Bellevue Avenue, as the students will be seated on the grass in their class groups (Bellevue is actually the best vantage point to get up close to the action, as the course runs right along the fence line). At 3.10pm, we will open the gates as usual and parents are then invited to come in onto the grass for the ‘sliming’ – the grand finale of the event.
Please remember the appropriate dress for students this Friday:
- Old (white) T-shirt and shorts
- Closed in footwear (no crocs or thongs)
- Sunscreen
- Labelled hat
I can’t wait to see our students and staff enjoying the fun of the big day on Friday. Thanks again for your great support of this fun fundraiser.
Parent Teacher Interviews
Parent/Teacher interviews will take place in Weeks 10 and 11 of this term from Thursday 3 April to Friday 11 April.
Bookings will open online on Monday 24 March at 4.00pm and close on Tuesday 1 April at 4.00pm. Booking details will be emailed to all families on the afternoon of Monday 24 March.
Interviews are strictly 10 minutes so please assist your child’s teacher by being on time and also finishing on time. If you require more time with a particular teacher, please arrange a separate meeting by telephoning the school on 9973 1439.
We understand that sometimes life intervenes, and you cannot make it to your appointed time. However, as a simple courtesy, please be sure to contact the school to let the teacher know you are not coming.
Harmony Day
This Friday, we are celebrating Harmony Day in what is a week of celebrations across Australia.
Why are celebrating this day?
Our Australian society is a huge melting pot of colour, flavour and diversity. So, we celebrate this diversity, aiming to foster inclusiveness, respect and the idea that people of all different cultures can make a valuable contribution to society.
This rationale is particularly important for our students in a relatively mono-cultural community like Avalon that draws from a predominantly Anglo-European culture. We felt that having experienced a small but troubling number of incidents of a racist nature in the last two years, this year we would do a lot more to foster that inclusivity and respect for all cultures.
Uniform Shop
This week, the uniform shop has been relocated to Room 1 in H block. It is the room closest to the staff car park and the pedestrian entrance from Sanders Lane. It’s a much more convenient location for parents and carers, and has flat access for those with prams and push chairs.
The space has been repurposed from a classroom and will give the uniform shop team, led by Kirsty van der Wallen, much more room to work in AND it has the luxury of air conditioning too!
Thanks to the P&C team for moving the shop stock today, ably assisted by Year 6 students, staff and our GA Mr Perks.
School Calendar
The school calendar is the source of ‘truth’ for all events and happenings at our school. The calendar can be found on our website, but did you know it’s also available through the School Bytes app?
Simply open up the School Bytes for Parents app and tap the ‘Calendar ‘icon’. Voilà – all the events at our school in one convenient location.
School Tours
For families new to the area, a school tour with me (and sometimes our student leaders) can be a useful introduction to the school. Tours begin at 9.45am from the Admin Block. Please call or email the office team to express your interest in joining in.
Our school tour dates are as follows:
Tuesday 25 March
Tuesday 6 May
Thursday 5 June
Monday 16 June
Tuesday 29 July
Thursday 21 August
Friday 5 September
Have a great rest of the week and don’t forget to book your parent teacher interview from 4pm on Monday 24 March onwards.
Andy Rankin
Principal
Stage 2 Students Attended Life Education Programs
Over the past few weeks, our Stage 2 students participated in Life Education programs designed to enhance their understanding of health, safety, and relationships. These programs were specifically tailored to address key areas such as healthy living, emotional wellbeing, online safety, and the development of positive relationships. Students in Years 3 and 4 were given the opportunity to explore a variety of important topics that will benefit them both inside and outside the classroom.
Year 4 students engaged in the Inside Story program, which focused on the function of the body and the importance of maintaining good health. Students learned about the benefits of eating healthy foods to boost their energy and support overall wellbeing. The program also explored how body systems, such as the digestive, respiratory, and circulatory systems, work together to keep us healthy. Children examined how factors like nutrition, exercise, and medicines can influence their physical health and wellbeing.
Year 3 students participated in the Cyberwise program, which aimed to equip them with the skills needed to stay safe in the digital world. They learned how to recognise, react to, and report unwanted contact or bullying online, as well as how to protect their personal information when using the internet. This program helped students develop a strong understanding of responsible online behaviour and the importance of keeping themselves safe while using technology.
3/4MD took part in the Friends and Feelings program, which focused on emotional literacy and social skills. Students developed their ability to recognise and understand different emotions, and practised assertive communication to express themselves confidently and respectfully. They also learned mindfulness techniques to help regulate their emotions and discussed how to use technology responsibly and respectfully. The program emphasised the importance of building positive relationships with friends and peers, and explored the vital role of bystanders in standing up against bullying.
These Life Education programs provided our Stage 2 students with valuable knowledge and skills that will help them lead healthy, safe, and positive lives. We are excited to see how these experiences will shape their growth.
Library
Premier’s Reading Challenge
All students at Avalon Public School are invited and encouraged to participate in the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge 2025 (PRC). It runs from 24 February until 22 August 2025.
The Challenge aims to encourage a love of reading for leisure and pleasure in students, and to enable students to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student to read, to read more and to read more widely. The Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) is an initiative of the NSW State government and is available for all NSW students in Kindergarten –Year 9
Garden Club
Well they say pictures can tell a thousand words, we've been super busy in the Gardens over the last few weeks. Seed saving, planting, clearing and watering after the crazy heat of last weekend.
More autumn garden adventures ahead!
Keep on Growing everyone
Fiona and Sue
Garden Club
Aviation Club
Last week the Avalon Public School Aviation Club departed for their inaugural meeting. Once they had levelled off at cruising altitude, Year 5 student participants learned about the four forces of flight, the effects of flight controls and even got to sample some quality in-flight refreshments!
We will be exploring all areas of aviation over the coming months, from aerodynamics to aircraft systems, meteorology and the history of flight.
Here's to clear skies and soft landings!
Mr Seaton
Uniform Store
Please note that the Uniform Store has moved to:
Room 1, H Block, K-2 Area.
Uniform Store opening hours:
Monday 8am-10am
Thursday 2.30pm-4pm
Orders can be placed online and will be delivered on Mondays and Fridays to your Child’s Classroom.
Any Urgent Uniform requests, (ie Hat replacements), please come to the Canteen.
Canteen
Colour Run is fast approaching! The Canteen will be doing a Special Menu, pre-order for a Hot Dog or a Chicken Strip Burger. Just go to Spriggy and under the Events Menu, place your order. Our normal Canteen menu is available on Colour Run day too.
New flavour of Chill J available, blueberry!
Community
Have you heard about the ethics program at Avalon Public School?
You can become a volunteer to help on the program if you’re available 30minutes each Friday.
Primary Ethics provides free, comprehensive training with online self-paced learning plus trainer-led workshops (by Zoom or face-to-face).
You will join a great community of Primary Ethics volunteers across NSW and have the rewarding opportunity of listening to the fantastic students at our school and helping them grow, delivering the Department of Education approved curriculum.
To find out more please contact David Bartolo at david.bartolo@tafensw.edu.au
Newsletter Sponsors
