News & updates

School & District Swimming Carnivals

On the first day of school, the sun shone brightly as students participated in the swimming carnival at Corrimal Swimming Pool. All attendees enjoyed a fantastic day, competing to the best of their abilities. 22 students were invited to represent our school at the district carnival, and gave it their best in every race. A special shout-out goes to Hugo Tesonovic, who achieved multiple podium finishes and will now represent the district at the South Coast Carnival. Well done to all our swimmers! (Mr Chadwick)

St George Dragons visit

On Monday, February 17, Stage 2 had an exciting visit from the dragons! The players engaged in a variety of footy drills, including kicking, running, and passing, all while discussing healthy habits. It was a fantastic experience for Stage 2, and we can’t wait to welcome the dragons back to TPS in the future! (Mr Chadwick)

1/2 Buru Car Launcher

Year 1/2 students have been diving into the exciting world of forces! Through hands-on activities, they are exploring how forces such as push and pull affect movement. As part of their learning, the class created their very own car launcher! We tested the distance and the speed toy cars from different levels of force. (Miss Craft)

New school values

Introducing Our New School Values: Respect, Connect, and Grow At Tarrawanna Public School, we are excited to launch our new school values: Respect, Connect, and Grow! These values will guide us in creating a positive and inclusive school community. Each week, we will be focusing on one value, exploring what it looks like in action and how we can all lead by example. Our action statements have been developed with student voice, ensuring they reflect what these values mean to our students in their everyday lives. 

This week, our focus is on RESPECT – and our action statement is: “I always use kind words.” Kind words have the power to uplift others, create a positive environment, and strengthen our community. Whether it’s encouraging a friend, speaking politely, or showing gratitude, we encourage everyone to choose kindness in their words. We look forward to celebrating and embedding these values across our school, working together to Respect, Connect, and Grow! (Ms Layton)

The Fathering Project

Introducing The Fathering Project at Tarrawanna Public School We are excited to launch a new initiative at Tarrawanna Public School—The Fathering Project! This program supports and encourages fathers and father figures to take an active role in their children’s lives, fostering stronger family connections and a positive school community. 

To kick things off, we invite all fathers and father figures to join us for our very first event: ⚽ Soccer & Sausage Sizzle 🍽️ 📅 Date: Friday, 7 March 2025 ⏰ Time: 3:15 pm – 5:15 pm 📍 Venue: Oval at Tarrawanna Public School This is a fantastic opportunity to take a break, have a kick, and create lasting memories with your little legends. Whether you’re a soccer pro or just up for some fun, come along and enjoy a relaxed afternoon on the field. After the game, stick around for a sausage sizzle and connect with other dads and families in our school community. 

We also encourage all father figures to join the Tarrawanna School Dads Group, a supportive network that aims to strengthen relationships and involvement in your children’s learning and wellbeing. To RSVP for the event, please email kelly.judd1@det.nsw.edu.au by Sunday, 2 March 2025. We look forward to seeing you there for an afternoon of fun, connection, and community! (Mrs Judd)

5/6 Burri Burri Cooking with Ms Lewis

On Friday 14 February, 5/6 Burri Burri had the great opportunity of cooking with Ms Lewis. Students made Baba Ganoush using eggplants grown from our own school garden. Every student had a job and assisted helping others whether it was peeling vegetables, frying papadums or washing the dishes. It was an excellent opportunity for students to develop their self-help skills and learn a new recipe. Well done 5/6 Burri Burri! (Mrs Weise)

South Coast football knockout

This year we have entered the South Coast boys football (soccer) knockout competition! Our first game will be against our neighbours, away at Balgownie Public School, and must be played by 9 May. Mr Chadwick and Mrs Woloch are coordinating trials to pick our best team. We will let you know when a date for the game is confirmed. (Mr Hopkins)

Tarrawanna wellbeing program

In the first five weeks of term one, the Tarrawanna Wellbeing Program has focused on supporting our new students at TPS by checking in with them to help navigate building friendships and fostering a sense of connection and belonging, which is crucial. With the Stage 3 camp approaching, we’ve conducted lessons to prepare students for what to expect, addressing their worries and concerns about activities, food, packing, and other camp experiences, while allowing them to share their questions so we could tailor our lessons to meet their needs. We have also explored our school values of Respect, Connect, and Grow. (Ms Cram)

2025 Kindergarten

As our kindergarten students embark on their exciting journey into school life, we are thrilled to see them making new friends and exploring their new environment! Over the past few weeks, they have been getting to know their classroom routines, which has helped them feel more at home. Our little learners have also enjoyed music and sport lessons, bringing joy and energy to their days. 

A highlight was our special canteen day, where students learned how to buy and pay for their food, a fun experience that introduced them to important skills! They have also been working with their Year 5/6 buddies, who are assisting them in their learning and helping them navigate school life. Ms Mac is incredibly proud of how quickly they have settled into kindergarten, and we look forward to a wonderful year of growth and discovery together. (Ms McLachlan)

Year 5 HPAG Extend Program

We're excited for our school to be a part of the HPAG (High Potential and Gifted) Extend program, designed to offer extra enrichment for Year 5 students who show high potential and academic giftedness. This program has been carefully developed over 20 years, initially starting as a single class serving the entire Wollongong and Shellharbour areas, to now involving students from over 65 schools. Its goal is to boost academic and social skills, with a special emphasis on critical and creative thinking abilities. 

Program Overview: The HPAG Extend program gives opportunities for acceleration (working at a faster pace), enrichment (working through content of wider breadth than the normal curriculum), and extension (working in greater depth and complexity). It facilitates connections and collaboration between learners of similar ability levels, allowing a push beyond their current mastery levels. Units of work generally have students working in stage 4 (year 7 & year 8) outcomes and across a variety of subject areas including physics, chemistry, literacy, numeracy, creative arts, engineering, and more. Structure: In total, seven classes are held across host schools in the Wollongong and Shellharbour regions. Each class consists of 30 selected students from a variety of schools who attend a host school for one day a week. Classes start at 9am and conclude at 2:30pm, with transport organised by each student’s family. 

Finance: The cost of the HPAG program is approximately $700 per student. This will be funded by the school, however, it is anticipated that parent support for additional expenses, such as excursions, may occur. 

How do I apply? Expression of Interest forms have been sent home today. Please return it to the office by Tuesday 4 March, 2025. After this, students will complete an online assessment in Week 6 at school. Schools then enter each student’s assessment score and a ranking for each student based on additional information and performance in previous years. All applications are forwarded to the selection panel who will make the final decision for placements. (Ms Layton)

P&C Ice-cream stall

We want to say thank you to everyone who joined us at our recent ice cream stall, organised by our amazing P&C! It was a fantastic way for our students to cool off and enjoy a delicious treat together! 

3-6 Choir

Our 3-6 Choir has been a big hit as we welcomed a new conductor, Ms Sonia Millgate, to Tarrawanna Public School. Ms Millgate will train the choir alongside Ms McLachlan, who will conduct the choir at key events. Throughout the term, we will be rehearsing music for the Wollongong Schools Choral Festival along with a wonderful piece to perform at our ANZAC Day ceremony in term 2. Our singers have also been invited to perform alongside students from other schools at the local ANZAC Dawn Ceremony. (Mr Hopkins)