Principal's Report

For 175 years, NSW public schools have been at the heart of education, preparing today’s children to succeed and build better communities for tomorrow.

We do this every day at St Johns Park Public School by nurturing happy, respectful, lifelong learners within an inclusive, safe and collaborative environment.

So for the best education money can't buy, choose your local public school.

➡️ Find out more: https://education.nsw.gov.au/schools-near-me

P&C Annual General Meeting

The P&C Annual General Meeting for 2024 will be held on Wednesday, 6 March at 9.30am in the school hall. All parents and carers are welcome to attend. At this important meeting, voting for roles for the P&C executive 2024 will take place. The positions are:

• President
• Vice President (2)
• Secretary
• Treasurer

We hope to have many parents and carers attend.

NAPLAN 2024 for Year 3 and Year 5

NAPLAN is for all Year 3 and 5 students. ACARA supports inclusive testing, so all students have the opportunity to participate in the national assessment program. NAPLAN testing takes place at school from Wednesday 13 March and finishes on Monday 25 March 2024. 

Students will have four tests over four separate days - Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language and Numeracy.

The tests are online and are designed to provide precise results, and are engaging for students. The tests are tailored (or adaptive) which means that each test presents questions that may be more or less difficult depending on a student’s responses. This helps students remain engaged with the assessment. Tailored testing allows a wider range of student abilities to be assessed and measures student achievement more precisely. A student’s overall NAPLAN result is based on both the number and complexity of questions they answer correctly. Your child should not be concerned if they find questions challenging; they may be taking a more complex test pathway. 

All Year 3 students complete the writing assessment on paper.

Students are not expected to study for NAPLAN. You can support your child by reassuring them that NAPLAN is a part of their school program and reminding them to simply do their best. Teachers will ensure students are familiar with the types of questions in the tests and will provide appropriate support and guidance. If you have any questions please contact the school.

Every Day Counts

It’s great to have our students back in classrooms and settling into the school year. I know all our teachers are looking forward to a successful 2024 and are excited to work with you to make this a memorable year for your child.

The evidence is clear that consistent attendance is the essential first step for your child to have a positive experience at school.

Every day matters for your child’s learning. In recent years we’ve seen too many students miss a day of school here and there. Missing school for students means missing out on learning new concepts, time with friends or getting picked for a sports team. With days missed, years are lost.

Students are required to attend school every day, whether it’s the first or last day of the term, Mondays, Fridays or days dedicated to sports carnivals, school excursions and incursions.

Help us make sure your child is achieving their best and stays ahead in their learning with regular school attendance. The more time your child attends school, the greater their opportunity to learn, make new friends and improve their wellbeing. Together, let’s build positive attendance habits for a lifetime.

Building positive attendance habits

You can help build positive attendance habits by: 

• helping your child learn the importance of punctuality and routine
• making sure your child arrives on time from the start of the school day, ready to take part 
• reducing disruption to learning where you can, by planning any necessary appointments outside of school time 
• contacting your school to explain any absences (within 7 days of the first day of any absence) 
• making sure any holidays or medical appointments are taken outside school hours
• working with the school to encourage and support regular attendance. 

The following video is entitled - 'Must have missed a day.'  Take some time to watch it with your child/children.

Quote for Week 6

“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” 

Malcolm X