Principal's Update
At Dundas Public School we do our best always
Thursday, 3rd July 2025
Happy winter school holidays
I would like to wish all DPS families a very happy and restful winter break and we look forward to seeing everyone back to school on Tuesday, 22nd July ready for a big Term 3.
Congratulations Semester 1 Principal Award recipients
This morning, DPS hosted the Semester 1 Principal Award breakfast where we celebrated the outstanding students at DPS. This semester we celebrated 21 students for their exemplary attitude to learning, outstanding behaviour towards others and their kindness and leadership qualities. We are very proud of them all!
| Isabella C | Stage 1 Malya | Demonstrating leadership and kindness towards all peers. |
| Ella K | Stage 2 Dingu | For being an exceptional leader in the classroom. |
| Rinnah K | Stage 1 Bunduluk | Exemplary behaviour and attitude towards learning. |
| Lucas H | Stage 3 Mariong | Significant improvement in attention, focus and engagement in every lesson. |
| Esther W | Kindy Babuk | Outstanding behaviour and attitude towards all areas of learning. |
| Iris S | Stage 3 Wallu-mil | Leadership and dedication to the school. |
| Aidan B | Kindy Warin | Outstanding understanding and application in mathematics. |
| Hosea A | Stage 2 Wilbung | For outstanding politeness, upholding school values and consistent effort. |
| Caleb W | Stage 1 Bunduluk | Outstanding behaviour and attitude towards all areas of learning. |
| Kylie C | 4/5 Gudugulung | Exemplary behaviour and attitude towards learning. |
| Sunny S | Stage 1 Wirriga | Demonstrating exemplary attitude towards all areas of learning. |
| Harriet T | Stage 2 Dingu | Consistently displaying school expectations in all areas of learning. |
| August L | Stage 1 Malya | Excellent behaviour and a positive attitude towards all learning areas. |
| Jaehoon J | Stage 3 Mariong | For his outstanding leadership and dedication to learning. |
| Jordan P | Stage 1 Wirriga | Demonstrating positive attitude towards all learning areas. |
| Emilie M | 4/5 Gudugulung | Exemplary behaviour and positive attitude towards all areas of learning. |
| Lael P | Stage 1 Bunduluk | Exemplary behaviour and attitude towards learning. |
| Dael J | Stage 3 Mariong | For being a role model to others with his outstanding behaviour and commitment to learning. |
| Clesia K | Stage 1 Malya | For always being a fantastic role model to her peers. |
| Benji D R B | 4/5 Gudugulung | Exemplary behaviour and dedication to learning. |
| Cameron S | Stage 3 Wallu-mil | Outstanding effort in mathematics. |
Congratulations Mrs Benco
This week, Mrs Benco was recognised for her incredible service to NSW Department of Education and the students at Dundas Public School when she received an award from the Executive Director Public Schools Recognition Program. The award recognises Mrs Benco’s significant contribution to teaching and learning over her forty-year teaching career.
Mrs Benco is a dedicated and committed member of staff. She is an exemplary classroom teacher and EAL/D specialist, and a well-respected and experienced school member. As the EAL/D teacher, she is often the first face New Arrivals Program (NAP) students, and their families see when they start at Dundas Public School. Her demeanour is always one of genuine warmth and service as she welcomes all to our school. Mrs Benco provides care and support to those students needing additional assistance and nurtures them to improve their sense of belonging and wellbeing. She fosters strong, genuine connections with DPS families through her kindness and compassion.
In addition to her EAL/D role, Mrs Benco serves the students at Dundas Public School by professionally and sensitively fulfilling the Anti-Racism Contact Officer (ARCO) role, promoting a culture of respect and inclusion within the school. In this role, she has provided advice, guidance and support to students, staff and community members manage complaints and support the resolution of incidents, so all members of the school feel safe and respected.
Mrs Benco also volunteers her time to the Dundas Public School community by working with students in the Dundas Environmentally Responsible Team (DERT) where she empowers students to learn about environmental issues through growing vegetables in the cultural garden she established, with the goal that they will become active participants in creating a more sustainable future.
Dundas Public School and the NSW Department of Education are privileged to have someone so dedicated and committed to all students.
Farewell Mr Wai
We are extremely sad to farewell our wonderful school psychologist, Mr Wai, as he moves to support students at Arthur Phillip High School from Term 3. Mr Wai has been instrumental in supporting our students, families and staff over the two and a half years he has served the Dundas PS community, and he will be missed terribly. On behalf of the staff and DPS community, I would like to thank Mr Wai for everything he has done during his time here and we wish him all the best as he moves to serve another school community. They are very lucky to have him!
Staff said farewell to him today by sending him off with a Mexican feast.
Mrs Upton is returning Term 3
We are very pleased to share that Mrs Upton will be returning to her Stage 1 Bunduluk students and her maths group on Monday 21 July 2025. Mrs Upton has surely had some recent health challenges, but she is on the mend and eager to return to the DPS community.
On behalf of everyone at DPS I would like to thank Mrs Green for stepping in to expertly teach Stage 1 Bunduluk in Mrs Upton’s absence.
Semester 1 student reports
Semester 1 student academic reports will be shared with parents and carers via the Sentral Parent Portal today at 3pm. Earlier this term in the Term 2 Week 3 newsletter, I shared that we would be introducing updated school reports designed to provide you with a clearer and more comprehensive view of your child’s progress.
These new student reporting formats have been thoughtfully developed by the NSW Department of Education in direct response to valuable feedback from parents and educators. Our goal is to ensure that the reports are not only easier to read and understand but also more informative regarding your child’s achievements. As a result, the previous list of specific indicators listed for English and mathematics has been removed due to the heavy use of teacher jargon.
The Semester 1 student report will be available for parents and carers to download from this afternoon at 3pm. Reminders on how to download the report were shared with the school community on 25/6/2025.
Parent-Teacher Interviews Term 3
Information on Parent-Teacher interviews will be shared with families on Monday, 21 July 2025. Teachers will be available to meet for 10 minutes with their class student families as well as an additional 5 minutes with the parents and carers of students in their maths group.
Student Parliament initiative 2026
Our 2025-2028 School Excellence Plan has 2 main strategic directions areas.
- Student growth and attainment - We aim for our students to achieve their academic potential through high expectations and quality, explicit teaching. We will use evidence-based practices that utilises data to maintain and improve high levels of student growth and achievement in reading and numeracy.
- Strengthening student agency and voice - We will embed whole school learning goals so students, parents and teachers will know where students are in their learning. We will improve student voice by empowering students to be active participants in school decision-making and their learning, by developing authentic leadership opportunities. We will effectively embed the DPS School Behaviour Support and Management Plan to ensure that Dundas Public school continues to create a positive learning environment based on a culture of high expectations and effective wellbeing practices.
Student voice involves students actively participating in school decision-making that impacts their educational experiences. It's more than just expressing opinions; schools must value and act on student perspectives to genuinely influence learning and decisions.
Incorporating student voice can:
- foster collaboration between students and teachers
- enhance engagement in learning
- build connections and a sense of belonging
- create a positive school culture
- develop personal and social skills.
In 2026, Dundas Public school will be introducing a School Parliament. School Parliament is an initiative that empowers students to voice their opinions and actively participate in their school community. Led by Year 6 minister students, it fosters leadership and community skills while providing a platform for students to share their ideas and concerns about the school environment.
Students from stages 1-3 elect two representatives from their classes to serve on the Student Representation Council. These council members work closely with the ministers to convey their classmates' thoughts to the Parliament and support fundraising for specific charities or other school initiatives.
The Parliament, which includes all students, then deliberates on which ideas should be presented to the principal for further consideration. If these ideas (motions) are approved by the principal, they will be set in motion for implementation within the school.
Next term, interested Year 5 students will be invited to create a leadership passport which will start our aspiring school leaders thinking about how they could use their own voice as a leader in 2026.
Build update
Works on the new build at DPS will be starting in the school holidays. You will notice temporary fencing being erected around the construction zone. Below is a plan showing the construction zone in green. The temporary fencing is shown in red.
A friendly reminder that NO pedestrian access using the Calder Road, Kenworthy Street and St Andrews Place gates will be possible during the school holidays.
Kindy Expo and Information Night
Kindergarten enrolments for 2026
DPS is now accepting Kindergarten enrolments for 2026. Every child is entitled to be enrolled at the government school that is designated for the intake area within which the child's home is situated and that the child is eligible to attend.
Kindergarten
- All children must be in compulsory schooling by their 6th birthday.
- Children can start kindergarten at the beginning of the school year if they turn 5 on or before 31 July that year.
- Students should start school at the beginning of the school year.
If you live in our intake area and would like to apply to enrol at our school, start by submitting an online enrolment application. Online enrolment is currently only available for Australian or New Zealand citizens and permanent residents.
If you are not able to apply online or you prefer not to, download the paper application to enrol (PDF 768.4KB) form. Please complete the form in English. A translated application to enrol may help you do this.
Online enrolment can also be used for out-of-area enrolment. Please note that out-of-area enrolment procedures are subject to the department’s enrolment policy.
Enrolment applications are finalised at the school.
Book for a school tour
School tours are offered twice a term in Terms 2 and 3 and one tour in Term 4. Prospective parents must register for a tour to assist with planning. To register, please ring the school office on (02) 9638 2813.
2025 school tour dates are:
- Friday, 4th July at 2pm.
- Friday, 22nd August at 2pm.
- Friday, 26th September at 2pm.
- Friday, 14th November at 2pm.
Our school can help with enrolment queries throughout the year.
Virtual school tour
There is a virtual school tour that you can see anytime, just by visiting the home page on our school website.
A link to the virtual tour is below.
A big thank you!
Thank you to D'Arcey from the NRL and Erwin from AFL for donating footballs to DPS. The students can't wait to use the equipment to further improve their skills!
Financial assistance
We understand that financial hardship can impact families in various ways, and we want to assure you that if you are unable to pay for school contributions such as excursions, events, and camps, you may be eligible for assistance from the school.
Our school is committed to ensuring that no student or family experiences discrimination or embarrassment due to their financial situation. We encourage you to reach out and discuss your circumstances openly. Please contact the school office to make an appointment with the principal Lee Shipley, who will work with you to find a suitable solution.
Your child's education and well-being are our top priorities, and we are here to support you during challenging times.
School events on our website
This week, I have shown several of our parents how to locate the upcoming school events found on our website. When events are booked, we diligently share that information on our website to help our families plan ahead.
It is very easy to find. Open the ‘Events’ tab on the home page.
Once you select ‘Events’, you will see the following events.
P&C
On behalf of the students, staff and families of Dundas PS, I would like to thank again the P&C executive team, the Fete team and the volunteers for making the 2025 such a fun, community event.
NCCD
