Principal's Update

Passing of staff member, Jen Benco 

Dear Dundas Public School Community,  

It is with profound sadness that we inform you of the passing of our beloved EAL/D teacher, Jennifer Benco. Jennifer touched the lives of every student, staff member, and family within our community with a kindness and dedication that truly embodied the values of the NSW Department of Education.  

Throughout her remarkable 40-year career, Jennifer consistently placed students and their families at the heart of everything she did. As the first welcoming face for many New Arrivals Program students and their families, she offered not only expert teaching but also genuine warmth, care, and support--helping each child to feel seen, valued, and at home at Dundas Public School.  

Jennifer's commitment extended beyond the classroom. She served as our Anti-Racism Contact Officer, fostering a culture of respect and inclusion, and volunteered with the Dundas Environmentally Responsible Team, inspiring students to engage with environmental stewardship. Her lasting contributions will continue to influence our school community for years to come.  

We extend our deepest condolences to Jennifer's family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing her. Our thoughts are with you during this difficult time. For those who may need support, please remember that our counselling services are available to assist.  

Jennifer's legacy is one of compassion, service, and unwavering dedication to public education. She will be dearly missed but never forgotten. 

Jennifer’s funeral service is being held this Friday.  

We wish to inform you that many of our staff members will be attending the funeral of Jennifer Benco. To support our school and ensure it remains operational during this time, neighbouring schools have kindly arranged for some of their teachers to come and cover classes. 

This collaboration will help maintain continuity of learning for all students while allowing our staff to pay their respects. We appreciate your understanding and support during this difficult time. 

DPS Student Leadership 

We were very impressed with how well our Year 5 students presented their speeches today to both Stages 2 and 3 students as well as staff. Their confidence and dedication truly shone through. 

As mentioned earlier this year, we are excited to be introducing a student parliament model of leadership in 2026. Today’s speeches were an important step in preparing for this new leadership opportunity, and I was incredibly proud of how hard the students have worked. 

Thank you to everyone for supporting our upcoming student leaders and the continued growth of our school community. 

2026 DPS swimming carnival 

In 2026, DPS will be hosting its annual swimming carnival jointly with Telopea Public School and Oatlands Public School at the Parramatta Aquatic Centre. This collaboration provides us with the opportunity to use a modern, well-equipped venue that offers excellent facilities for competitive swimming events with less staff needed at the pool, ensuring that there is continuity of learning for those students at school. Staffing previous swimming carnivals put significant strain on school organisation due to the high number of staff needed at the pool to supervise all the students as well as run the events. Sharing the swimming carnival with Telopea and Oatlands Public Schools will help with costs and ensure that the usual staffing strain is removed and normal learning programs and routines can continue back at school. 

We are pleased to use Parramatta Aquatic Centre again next year.  

However, one important aspect to note is that the Parramatta Aquatic Centre does not have the capability to accommodate water novelty events or activities designed for non-swimmers. In previous years, novelty events have played an important role in engaging students who are less confident in the water, enabling them to fully participate and enjoy the swimming carnival experience in a safe and inclusive environment. 

Historically, at similar carnivals without novelty events, many students attend the day mostly as spectators or supporters rather than participating in any races. To address this, and to ensure that all students have a meaningful experience, DPS has decided that for the 2026 swimming carnival, we will only be taking those students who wish to compete in swimming races. These competitors will have the chance to showcase their swimming abilities and contribute to their house teams in a professional competitive setting. 

Please understand that DPS students will only be competing against other DPS students. 

We understand that this represents a shift from previous carnivals, but our aim is to provide an event that is both fair and enjoyable for participating students. We look forward to a successful and exciting swimming carnival at the Parramatta Aquatic Centre and thank families and students for their support and understanding as we adjust to this new format. 

2026 Transition to School Bytes for everything 

We would like to inform all parents and carers that starting from the beginning of 2026, our school will be moving away from using SENTRAL and will instead adopt the School Bytes platform for all school communication, payments, and administrative needs. 

Why are we making this change? The decision to transition to School Bytes has been made to simplify and streamline how our school community interacts with the school. Currently, SENTRAL is used alongside other platforms for different purposes, which can sometimes cause confusion or require multiple logins. School Bytes will consolidate many of these functions into one user-friendly system, making it easier for families to manage everything in one place. 

What will School Bytes be used for? School Bytes will be the go-to platform for: 

• School newsletters and important announcements 
• Excursion and event permissions 
• School fee and payment processing 
• Reporting and tracking student attendance 
• Updating personal and contact information 
• Student academic reports 
• Parent Teacher interview bookings 

Having a single platform will help improve communication efficiency and reduce the chance of missed messages or information. 

What do parents and carers need to do? Closer to the start of the 2026 school year, we will provide detailed instructions on how to use the new components of the School Bytes platform.  

In the meantime, please continue to use SENTRAL for all school-related activities until we announce the official cut-off date. 

We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we make this important change to better support our school community. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office. 

Parent/carer feedback survey 

At Dundas Public School, we are committed to continually improving the learning experience and overall environment for our students and families. To help guide our ongoing efforts, we invite you to participate in a brief online survey that seeks your valuable feedback on several important aspects of our school community. 

The survey focuses on the following key areas: 

• School Culture: Your perspective on the sense of belonging, respect, safety, and inclusiveness within our school. Understanding how students and families experience our school environment helps us foster a positive and supportive community for everyone. 

   

• Communication and Responsiveness: How well the school communicates with families and responds to queries or concerns. Effective two-way communication is vital for keeping you informed and engaged in your child’s education. 

   

• Family Engagement: The opportunities available for you and other families to be involved in school activities and decision-making. We want to hear about your experiences and ideas for strengthening the partnership between home and school.

   

• Leadership: Your views on the leadership within DPS, including the principal and school staff, and how they guide the school community towards success and continuous improvement. 

   

• Academic Learning: Feedback on the quality of teaching and learning programs, support for student progress, and how well the curriculum meets your child’s needs. 

   

• Facilities and Resources: Your opinions on the school’s physical environment, including classrooms, technology, and other resources that support student learning and wellbeing. 

Completing the survey will take approximately 10 minutes of your time. Your honest and thoughtful responses will provide us with vital information to help enhance the educational experience at Dundas Public School. 

We appreciate your continued support and encourage all parents and carers to participate. Together, we can work towards making DPS an even better place for our students to learn and grow. 

A link to the survey can be found here. The survey will be open until 3pm Monday, 8th December. 

Thank you for your contribution. 

Missing school chicken 

We regret to inform our school community that one of our much-loved chickens has been taken from the school chicken coop. Our chickens are an important part of our school environment, providing learning opportunities and joy for our students. 

If this behaviour continues, we may need to find another public school that can look after our chicken family to ensure their safety and wellbeing. 

If you have any information regarding this matter, please contact the school office confidentially. Your support in helping us protect our school animals is greatly appreciated. 

Kidz Squad End of Year party day 

We are excited to announce that Dundas Public School’s end of year celebration will be held on school grounds. Students will enjoy a fun-filled day with activities organised by Kidz Squad, featuring a great mix of dry and wet activities, including inflatables. 

To make the most of the day, students are encouraged to wear mufti clothes with enclosed shoes for safety. Please remember to send your child with a spare change of clothes — just in case they get wet! 

This celebration promises to be a lively event full of excitement, teamwork, participation, and leadership opportunities. It’s sure to be a memorable way to end the school year. 

The cost for this event is $10 per student, which has been partly subsidised by the school to keep it affordable. 

We look forward to a fantastic day celebrating our students and their achievements! 

 Kindergarten enrolments for 2026 

It is that time of year where we are planning for 2026. To inform our decision making we need to have a clear idea about enrolments. Every child contributes toward staffing and funding entitlements from the Ministry of Education. 

DPS is now finalising 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. 

 DPS P&C end of Year Celebration 

DPS P&C are inviting the DPS school community to join them for the annual end of year celebration picnic on Friday, 12 December from 4pm – 6pm.  

Upgraded school website 

Our new school website was unveiled to our community and we are very proud of how it is looking. A huge thank you to Mrs Haddock for assisting with the new website. Please visit the website regularly as new information and school events are added.  

https://dundas-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/ 

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.