Principal's Update
At Dundas Public School we do our best always
Teachers make a positive difference!
We all have high expectations at Dundas Public School. Parents have high expectations that their children will do well. Students have high expectations that they will learn many new skills and concepts. Teachers have high expectations that their students will focus and engage in learning programs and other co-curricular activities. I have high expectations that students learn in quality classrooms where teachers provide explicit syllabus-driven and engaging lessons which are rigorous and meaningful.
High Expectations for student attendance
Our school community has high expectations and proactively supports beneficial attendance behaviours. 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. 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.
If your child is absent from school, please let us know why as soon as possible, even if it’s just a few minutes late at the start of the school day. Of course, there will be times when your child is unable to be at school (like when they are unwell). Medical appointments should take place outside school hours where possible and family holidays should be taken in term breaks.
At Dundas Public School there are many ways you can let us know why your child is absent.
- Reply immediately to the text message from the school.
- Log an absentee form via the Audiri app.
- Ring the school on 02 9638 2813.
- Email the school dundas-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au
- Speak to or send a note to the class teacher.
If your child is feeling anxious about coming to school and you need support, please reach out to your child’s teacher or me directly. Our staff are here to work with you and your child to help them attend school each and every day. There are also helpful resources for parents and carers on the Every Day Matters website.
Thank you again for working with our teachers and support staff to make sure your child is at school, on time, every day. We all want to see our students learn, grow and belong in our equitable and outstanding education system.
Voluntary School Contributions
The provision of quality education relies, not only on the quality of the teaching staff, but also on the quality of resources that we use to educate the students. We are fortunate to have an enthusiastic, experienced and committed staff at Dundas Public school who do their very best every day with the resources available to them.
Dundas Public School acknowledges the many ways parents and carers contribute to our school each year, including donation of time, expertise, and vibrant community spirit, as well as voluntary school contributions and Individual Student Learning Resources. These contributions enable the school to provide greatly improved resources and facilities to enhance students’ learning experiences. I appreciate your support and generosity in contributing to the provision of excellent educational programs at Dundas PS.
2024 Voluntary School Contributions
Dundas Public schools requests an annual voluntary school contribution, like most NSW public schools. This contribution is used to enhance our educational and extra-curricular programs and resources. This contribution is voluntary, and the Department of Education’s voluntary school contribution policy can be found here: https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/policies/pd-2005-0233
The voluntary school contribution for 2024 is $40 per student.
It is important to note that our previous voluntary contribution amount of $30 was kept at the same level since early 2000’s.
2024 Individual Student Learning Resources
The Individual Student Learning resources contribution provides essential resources for individual student use.
The Individual Student Learning Resources contribution is $120 per student.
Below is an itemised list of 2024 student learning resources:
Student exercise books, text books, stationery and paper $50
Mathletics online subscription $14
Reading Eggs online subscription $6
Essential Assessment online subscription $14
Seesaw $6
Reading resources $10
Technology support $10
General learning materials $10
Parents/carers can view their Statement of Account and make payment via the School Bytes parent portal.
NAPLAN 2024 : Year 3 and 5
Starting next week, from Wednesday 13 March to Wednesday 25 March (Week 7 - Week 9), our Year 3 and Year 5 students will complete the NAPLAN online assessments (Year 3 will sit the paper-based writing assessment).
NAPLAN (National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy) is an annual point-in-time assessment for all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. These tests assess the foundational skills in reading, writing, spelling and numeracy, essential for every child to progress through school and life.
NAPLAN data is used to help monitor student progress over time against a national standard and to identify areas of strength and improvement. It is used in combination with other school assessments to guide and support student learning and assist teachers by providing additional information to support their professional judgement about students’ levels of literacy and numeracy attainment and progress. NAPLAN also provides the school executive with valuable data to identify trends and patterns to ensure all students’ learning needs in the area of literacy and numeracy are maximised. To find out more about NAPLAN, visit http://www.nap.edu.au.
At home and at school, students can become more familiar with the NAPLAN online test environment using the public demonstration site: https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/public-demonstration-site
Transition from Year 6 to Year 7 enrolment
Apply for Year 7 placement in a NSW Government high school in 2025
Year 6 parents and carers can now submit their EOI (expression of interest) form.
To start this process, parents/carers must go to the Dundas PS website and select ‘Enrolment’ at the top of the screen Link to DPS website
There is a short video there that explains the enrolment process.
Say Cheese! Photo Day is on its way!
The School Photographer will visit Dundas Public School on Thursday 4th April (Term 1 week 10).
Families will shortly receive an order envelope for each child. This envelope is for payment for photos being taken on Thursday 4th April. It is vital that each child brings their own envelope back to school on or before Thursday 4th April, whether they are ordering photos or not. Sibling photos will be taken on this day. If you would like a sibling photo, please collect an envelope from the office.
P&C March meeting
The March P&C meeting is being held next Tuesday 12th March at 7pm in the school library. You are welcome to participate via zoom if you have a registered account. The link is below.
On Wednesday was P&C Day! I hope the community saw the P&C Facebook post. If you missed it, I have shared it below.
On behalf of our school, I would like to thank the P&C for everything you do for our school. It is very much appreciated!
Young Leaders Day
Young Leader’s Day, at the Sydney Convention Centre, was an unforgettable experience for our student leadership team. Over 5000 students from primary and high schools attended the amazing event. During the day, we listened to four famous Australians talk about their journey as a leader.
The speakers were Anastasia Woolmer, twice crowned ‘Australia’s Memory Champion’; Bryson Klein, multiple Australian Ninja Warrior grand finalist; Eva Amores and Matt Cosgrove, co-authors, illustrators and designers for the ‘Worst Week Ever’ book series which have been published in over 30 countries and languages; and last of all, Stephen O’ Keefe, a former Australian cricketer for the Australian National Team, only recently retired at the age of 36. We learnt about some of the essential qualities’ leaders need to have, and also listened as they talked about the importance of their life skills.
We will share one of their life skills to help all of you today: If at first you are unsuccessful - never be afraid to try things a new way and don’t give up.
Jessy and Justin
Thank you, Mr Dean, for ensuring the students had a fabulous day!
There are more fabulous photos and a video from the day on the DPS Facebook page.
Stage 3 Canberra excursion payment plan
This year, all students in Stage 3 (Years 5 and 6) will be learning about Australian Democracy. As a result, both Year 5 and Year 6 will be invited to attend the Canberra excursion. Next year, Stage 3 will attend the Sport & Recreation Point Wolstoncroft Camp together.
The dates for the excursion are Monday 5th August to Wednesday 7th August (Term 3, week 3).
The approximate cost of the 2024 Canberra excursion is $410 and this includes accommodation at the Gold Creek Tourist Resort at Gold Creek Village as well as entry to venues such as the Australian War Memorial, the Electoral Education Centre, Parliament House, Questacon, Mount Ainslie Lookout, Royal Mint, National Gallery of Australia, National Museum of Australia and the Australian Institute of Sport.
This cost also includes:
· Luxury seatbelt equipped coach travel with an experienced Coach Captain who will lead sightseeing and commentary
· 2 nights dinner, bed and breakfast accommodation with linen included
· Cut lunches on days 2 and 3; morning tea day 2 and afternoon tea day 3.
The school understands that an overnight excursion is a large expense for families so we are organising a payment plan (instalments) to make payment more manageable.
Term 1 Week 10, Thursday April 4 - $100
Term 2 Week 1, Thursday May 2 - $100
Term 2 Week 5, Thursday May 30 - $100
Final Payment due: Term 2 Week 10, Friday July 5, 2024 - $110
Approximate costs. Final amount to be confirmed.
More information will be shared with Stage 3 families in the coming weeks.