News

Coronavirus - Department of Education statement

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 18:53:09 AEDT

The department is working with the Ministry of Health to monitor and respond to the unfolding international novel coronavirus situation.

Get up-to-date information about the department's response to novel coronavirus.

#Ready2020 – a great year starts here

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 13:01:25 AEDT

Starting school is a big moment in a child’s life. Here’s how to make the most of it.

We can’t wait for you to join us for a great year – the first step towards a lifelong love of learning.

Visit the department’s primary school resources for hints, tips and checklists to make a great start to the new school year, whether your child is starting Kindergarten or Year 6.

You’ll find:

Getting ready for primary school booklet – everything you need to be #Ready2020
Daisy’s First Day – the story of Daisy the koala’s first adventure at Kindergarten
advice from teachers – they’ve been through this before.

Video – #Ready2020: First day of Kindy

Duration – 1:00

Staying healthy into the new school year

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 16:15:20 AEDT

Immunisation is a simple, safe and effective way to protect your family from harmful diseases this holiday season and into 2020. Visit your doctor for general health and vaccination advice.

Immunisation not only protects you and your family but also others in your community, by reducing the spread of preventable diseases.

Children starting school in 2020 must have up-to-date immunisations to enrol.

These vaccinations help protect children from highly infectious and severe diseases including whooping cough and measles.

Travel health

If you’re travelling overseas during the school holidays, you may need vaccinations or medication – both for general health protection and for region-specific diseases.

If you’re travelling to the Northern Hemisphere, you may even need a flu shot.

Find out more about staying healthy while travelling.

NSW schools respond to bushfires

Mon, 11 Nov 2019 16:43:10 AEDT

Many schools are responding to the catastrophic fire rating that is affecting communities across the state this week.

We are continuously updating the School safety page with a list of government and non-government schools, as well as TAFE NSW campuses that are currently non-operational.

While some schools are temporarily non-operational due to localised fires, many others in high-risk areas are non-operational as a precautionary measure.

Schools in some areas are being used as emergency evacuation centres at the direction of the Rural Fire Service.

For schools that are currently operational, school pickups and dropoffs will continue as usual. If your school is currently non-operational, it will likely remain so tomorrow.

Large scale distressing events affect our school communities in many ways. Headspace’s mental health support resource (PDF 100.52KB) is available to help students, teachers and school staff respond to the bushfires.

Visit the School safety page for updates. The department’s Facebook and Twitter accounts will also provide updates during this period.

Grab a ticket to Schools Spectacular 2019

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 14:12:24 AEDT

Will you be joining us at Schools Spectacular 2019? Tickets are on sale now. Experience our live show featuring a cast of thousands of public school students from across metropolitan, rural and remote regions of NSW.

Students from different ages, cultures and backgrounds will share the spotlight as they dance, play and sing for you. Choose from one of our four massive performances at Qudos Bank Arena on Friday 22 November and Saturday 23 November.

This year's events will feature:

more than 380 schools
5,500 performers
a 3000-strong choir
2,300 dancers
an 80-piece symphony orchestra
a world-class stage band.

Group bookings

Need to make a group booking for over 10 people? Complete the Schools Preview Order Form 2019 (PDF 110KB) to attend the discounted 11am Friday matinee. The Friday matinee is discounted for school students and accompanying teachers.

If you’d like to grab a spot at one of the other three remaining shows complete the Group Booking Form 2019 (PDF 110KB).

Tickets for you and your family and friends

Save you and your family a spot online or by phone on 132 849.

Video – Schools Spectacular 2019

Duration: 0:26

Have your say on before and after school care

Fri, 13 Sep 2019 13:33:40 AEST

We want to better understand your needs for before and after school care in NSW.

Have your say today on before and after school care.

Fill out the survey by Service NSW to share your specific care needs and to register interest to stay informed of new developments.

Your input will provide insights into where there are gaps in service availability and help us to deliver extra places where they are needed.

You can also contact the team responsible for rolling out the before and after school care commitment at BASCreform@det.nsw.edu.au.

Book yourself in for Reading Hour

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 11:20:28 AEST

This Australian Reading Hour, encourage your child to discover or rekindle their love of a good book. Take the time to learn, escape and relax on Thursday 19 September and read for one hour.

Get involved at home

Join in at home and read your child a bedtime story. Studies show that reading a bedtime story six days a week can give kids almost a year’s head start when they begin school. Reading has also been shown to develop empathy, promote critical thinking and help children find a sense of self.

Join in from the classroom

Bestselling children’s author and illustrator Matt Stanton will broadcast live to primary school children across the country from the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday 17 September. We invite schools to register for the livestream of this free event.

Stanton’s author talk is among more than 140 events happening across the country involving more than 50 authors.

Take the Book Swap Challenge

We all have favourite books that we come back to again and again.

To help celebrate Reading Hour take our Book Swap Challenge. We want students, teachers, staff and parents to try reading something new on the day. To get involved, simply pair up with someone and swap your favourite books.

Take a photo and tag it with #ReadingHour so we can see how you got involved.

Video – #ReadingHour authors talk about their favourite place to read

Duration: 0:38

Looking for a good spot to open a book? We asked authors Benjamin Law, Morris Gleitzman, Jacqueline Harvey and Mick Elliott about their favourite place to read.

How to be smart and safe on social media

Thu, 05 Sep 2019 11:38:44 AEST

Use our new Digital Citizenship toolkit to empower your child to understand how their online behaviour affects themselves and others.

You and your child can find information on:

how to ‘be positive’ by understanding online behaviour and its effect
'be smart’ by thinking critically and being digitally aware
'be safe’ by protecting your security, privacy and wellbeing.

A toolkit to empower you and your child

You can find articles and videos to equip and empower your child to minimise the risks and maximise the opportunities in our digital future.

We’ve partnered with leading researchers to produce a curated toolkit – aligned to the curriculum – which teachers and you can share with the young people in your lives.

Guide your child through important concepts such as:

managing privacy settings in social media
collaborating online
avoiding scams and hoaxes
understanding the law when it comes to online speech
Internet banking, shopping online and much more.

Keep your child safe and happy online

Visit and bookmark the Digital Citizenship website. We’ll continue to add articles and resources to ensure the best possible tools are available to help you guide your child to be positive, smart and safe online.

Education Week – Every student, every voice

Thu, 01 Aug 2019 14:01:10 AEST

We are celebrating our students and their powerful voices this Education Week Monday 5 August to Friday 9 August. Every year Education Week celebrates the achievements of public schools, our students and the value of public education.

This year, the theme is Every student, every voice.

Join us for #EdWeek19 as we celebrate our students and their power to shape the world.

Video – #EdWeek19 – Every student, every voice

Duration: 0:34

Creative and Active Kids vouchers now available

Fri, 14 Jun 2019 11:33:42 AEST

Creative kids can now put a $100 voucher towards extra-curricular creative activities outside of school.

Together with Active Kids, this program aims to encourage more NSW children to participate in a range of extra-curricular activities such as coding, languages, circus, performing arts and visual arts.

Parents can apply for one $100 voucher for each child enrolled in school on the Creative Kids website and use it towards the cost of registration, participation or tuition. You just redeem the voucher with a registered provider in your area when making your payment.

This is a great opportunity for your child to become involved in a range of activities that will build on their education, growth and development.

Service NSW is working with industry bodies to deliver the program.

For more information, contact Service NSW on 137 788 or creativekids@service.nsw.gov.au.

The Game Changer Challenge is back

Fri, 31 May 2019 12:20:30 AEST

It’s not too late to become a Game Changer with applications for the Education Week challenge due by 7 June.

The Game Changer Challenge brings 16 teams from public schools across NSW – eight from primary and eight from secondary – to Sydney during Education Week in August for a three-day, intensive design-thinking workshop.

The Game Changer workshops, which start on Tuesday 6 August, includes teacher training in the use of design thinking as a teaching methodology and its application for school planning.

It also includes a team competition where schools will work under the guidance of experts from industry and academia to develop a solution to this year’s critical question: How might we humanise technology?

Department of Education Secretary Mark Scott has encouraged students and teachers to get behind the event as it highlights the critical thinking students will need to develop to succeed in the future.

“The Game Changer Challenge is an exciting initiative that helps educate and inform our students and teachers on how to integrate the problem-solving methodology of design thinking into the classroom,” Mr Scott says.

“It embraces the 21^st century skills our students will need to thrive in a globalised world such as collaboration, creative thinking and communication.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for our students at all levels to be involved in discussing and addressing a real-world issue that will affect their future lives. I encourage every school to get involved.”

The challenge is designed to make strong learning and teaching connections to the NSW syllabus specifically in the area of developing general capabilities such as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, communication and problem-solving.

The challenge also provides teachers with an opportunity to gain exposure to the design thinking process and includes teacher resources to introduce this creative problem-solving methodology into the classroom.

Finalists will be selected based on a 60-second video that showcases your team’s vision around the question of humanising technology.

For more information email edweek@det.nsw.edu.au or visit the Game Changer Challenge page.

Your NAPLAN questions answered

Thu, 09 May 2019 15:05:26 AEST

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a point in time assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. The tests assess the foundational skills in reading, writing, spelling and numeracy that are essential for every child to progress through school and life.

This year NAPLAN takes place between 14 and 16 May for paper tests and between 14 and 24 May for schools participating in NAPLAN Online.

NAPLAN data is used to help monitor student progress over time against a national measure and to identify areas of strength and improvement. It is used in combination with other school assessments to guide and support student learning.

Watch students ask an expert the tough questions about NAPLAN.

Video – Kids ask the hard questions

Duration – 3:45

Apply now for My Community Project funding

Mon, 29 Apr 2019 15:07:04 AEST

Do you have a great idea to improve your area?

My Community Project is a new NSW Government funding program that is all about local ideas, local projects and local decisions.

You can apply now for grants from $20,000 - $200,000 for projects that will make a difference to your community. Projects could include new playground equipment, sports facilities, paths or ramps to improve access, public art or a community service.

The local community can vote for their favourite projects in July and successful projects will be announced in September.

Project applications close 15 May 2019.

Apply for My Community Project funding

Bring back memories, not measles

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 14:19:59 AEST

With school holidays just around the corner, it’s time to visit your doctor to check that you and your family are fully protected against measles, before you travel overseas.

Measles is a serious, highly contagious, viral illness that is easily spread through the air when an infectious person coughs, sneezes or breathes. If you and your family are not fully vaccinated, or have never been vaccinated, you are at risk of contracting measles.

Not sure if you’re fully protected?

In Australia, the measles vaccine (MMR) consists of 2 doses. If you’re not sure whether you’ve had 2 doses of the measles vaccine, visit your doctor. It’s safe to receive another dose.

Children born in Australia

If your children were born in Australia, they may have received the measles vaccine at 12 months old and the second dose at 18 months, in accordance with the National Immunisation Program.
If you have a baby under 12 months old, consult your doctor about getting their measles vaccination.

Adults born in Australia

Born before 1966 – you were most likely exposed to measles as a child and are generally considered to be immune. If in doubt, ask your GP.
Born between 1966 and 1994 – you may not have received 2 doses. Talk to your doctor about the free vaccine if you’re unsure.
Born after 1994 – the National Immunisation Program offers 2 doses, and you can check your vaccination status using the Australian Immunisation Register.

For more information about the measles vaccination, visit NSW Health or consult your local doctor.

5 road safety tips for parents and carers

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 13:15:00 AEDT

Now that students are back to school after a break it’s a good time to chat with your child about safe behaviours when you walk or commute to school.

Here are our top tips to help our students make a safe trip:

1. Be alert and aware

Take note of the dangers you come across on your walk and bring them to your child’s attention. Point out dangers, such as vehicles coming out of driveways. Talk to your child about being alert in a road environment.

2. Hold hands

When on the footpath, at a crossing or in a car park always hold your child's hand. It is advised to do this up to the age of at least 8 years old and closely supervise until at least the age of 10.

3. Choose a safe crossing

Lead by example and choose a safe place to cross the road. Explain why it is the safest place to cross.

4. Set a good example

Your child watches everything you do, so if you cross at the crossing they will too. It is also important to share these messages with other carers who may walk with your child to school.

5. Stop, Look, Listen, Think every time you cross the road

Discuss this important road safety message. STOP! one step back from the kerb. LOOK! continuously both ways. LISTEN! for the sounds of approaching traffic. THINK! whether it is safe to cross.

Practise makes perfect

The more supervised practice your child can get the better, so why not make Term 1 the start of a new routine to walk with your child to school more often.

Older children may be ready to make the journey to school independently. Before they take this step, observe if they are road safe and reinforce the road safety messages.

For more information, check out the department’s pedestrian safety advice for students, parents and carers.

Back to school

Fri, 25 Jan 2019 14:53:01 AEDT

The first day of Kindergarten and the return to school in the new year are busy times for your child – and for the entire family. To help you make the most of this time and enjoy the experience, we’ve compiled some useful tips and checklists. We want every student to be known, valued and cared for in our schools.

Our film #FirstDay2019 captures the excitement – and the nerves – of the rite of passage that is the first day of Kindergarten.

Video – Back to School 2019: First Day at Kindy

Duration – 1:00

2019 school budget allocations

Mon, 12 Nov 2018 12:23:19 AEDT

Like all NSW public schools, this week we will receive a School Budget Allocation Report with our funding for 2019. The report will help us manage our total budget delivered through the Resource Allocation Model (RAM).

The RAM supports schools through needs-based funding to ensure a fair, efficient and transparent allocation of funds. Our school has the flexibility to make local decisions based on the specific needs of our students.

We will use our 2019 funding to support students and improve educational outcomes. The school executive will continue to work with the school community as we implement the school plan using this needs-based funding.

Learn more about the 2019 RAM funding.

National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence

Fri, 03 Aug 2018 09:41:15 AEST

Our students participated in activities to develop an understanding of bullying. They developed a range of strategies that will assist students to confidently deal with bullying behaviour.

Opportunity Class Online Applications

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 23:49:41 AEDT

Applications for placement in a tear 5 opportunity class in 2018 open on Wednesday 26th April and close Friday 12th May. No late application so will be accepted.

Please click this link for more information OC Application

Autism Awareness Month

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 23:49:40 AEDT

Join our school in celebrating AUTISM AWARENESS on Wednesday March 29. (The official ninth annual World Autism Awareness Day is April 2, 2017). Every year, autism organisations around the world celebrate the day with unique fundraising and awareness-raising events. Our school has joined the campaign to raise awareness and this year students are invited to wear red, blue and yellow to show support.

Harmony Day

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 23:49:40 AEDT

Tuesday March 21 is Harmony Day.

Harmony Day celebrates Australia's cultural diversity. It's about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. Join us in celebrating by wearing orange. Wear an orange hat, pants, shirt, dress, ribbon, hair band to show your support. Look out for information on how to take part in the 2017 Harmony Day Poster Competition.

125th Birthday Celebrations

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 23:49:40 AEDT

As a part of our school's 125 Birthday celebrations an Anniversary Dinner has been organised for all former students, staff and their partners at Cabra-vale Diggers Club on Saturday, 17th September.
Tickets are on sale at the office up until 31st August. Sales are between 3pm and 5pm each Wednesday and Friday. All enquiries can be made through the office.
There are only 300 tickets available and they are expected to sell fast, so to avoid disappointment make sure you purchase your tickets early.

Click here Invitation (pdf 174 KB) for more information.

Opportunity Class Placement

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 23:49:41 AEDT

The application process for Year 5 Opportunity class placement in 2017 is about to begin.

Important places are as follows:

Tuesday 23 April 2016 - Online applications open.

Friday 13th May 2016 - Online applications close

Wednesday 27th June 2016 - Opportunity Class Placement Test

Please access the online application at www.schools.nsw.edu.au/ocplacement

Meet the Teacher

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 23:49:41 AEDT

Please view the Meet the Teacher presentations found in the Notes section of the website.

This section will have notes that are sent home.

Lone Pine Tree

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 23:49:41 AEDT

Last week representatives from St Johns Park Bowling Club and Canley Heights RSL, presented our school captain with a Lone Pine seedling.

The Significance of the Lone Pine

On 6 August 1915 the 1st Australian Infantry Division launched a major offensive at Plateau 400 on Gallipoli. The ridges, once covered with the Aleppo pine, had been cleared to provide cover for the Turkish trenches, leaving just one, solitary pine. The area became known as Lone Pine Ridge.

After three days of brutal fighting the Anzacs succeeded in capturing the enemy trenches, but this bloody action cost the Australians 2,000 men. The Turks' losses were estimated at 7,000.

After the battle, Lance Corporal Benjamin Charles Smith, 3rd Battalion, AIF, collected several pine cones from the branches used to cover the Turkish trenches. He sent the cones home to his mother, Jane McMullin, in remembrance of his brother Mark, who had died in the fighting on 6 August.

From one of these cones Mrs McMullin sowed several seeds, and successfully raised two seedlings. One was planted in Inverell, where both her sons had enlisted. The other was presented to the Australian War Memorial, to be planted in the grounds in honour of all the sons who fell at Lone Pine.

Source :Australian War Memorial, https://www.awm.gov.au/shop/lone-pine-seedlings/

Uniform Policy

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 23:49:41 AEDT

A draft uniform policy has been written in collaboration with the P&C and states the correct uniform for all students to wear. Please read the draft uniform policy and come to the next P&C meeting which will be held at 9:30am on Tuesday 20th October. During this meeting, the policy will be discussed and adjusted where necessary.

Uniform Policy

Parent as Learners

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 23:49:41 AEDT

This term will be your last chance to attend the Parents as Learners sessions. Please see the Parents as Learners tab for more information or visit Mrs Ennis in the Library.

Welcome Back

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 23:49:41 AEDT

We welcome all staff, students, and their parents back for a new year. We also extend a warm welcome to all new staff, students and families to St Johns Park Public School.

Students in Year 1 - 6 start back on 29th of January with Kindergarten starting on 30th of January.

Book Week 2013

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 23:49:40 AEDT

Book Week 2013

Children's Book Week will be celebrated throughout schools in Australia during Week 6, Monday 19^thAugust through to Friday 23^rdAugust. The theme for Book Week this year is ‘Read Across the Universe'

The Children's Book Council

Our annual Book Character Parade will be held on Tuesday, 20^thAugust in the Infant's Playground. This is a fun time for students, which is hoped to promote a love of reading. Students are encouraged to dress up, as a character from a book. Remember many characters in books are ordinary people. Students should know the name of their character and the title of the book. If students are unable to find a costume, they are encouraged to make or buy a mask.

The students will complete work, for grade competitions, based on the nominated books being studied during library lessons. The works will be displayed in the library for parents to view. A class winner will receive a book prize and the grade winner will receive a $10 voucher to spend at the Book Fair.

Book Week Competitions:

Kindergarten: Kindergarten are reading ‘Too Many Elephants in This House', written by Ursula Dubosarsky, who has visited our school, and illustrated by Andrew Joyner. "In Eric's house there are too many elephants!" Students will be creating a display of elephants for the library, each one unique and reflecting the imagination of the students. Soon we will have "Too Many Elephants in the Library".

Year One:Year One are studying the book "Peggy", written and illustrated by Anna Walker. This is the story of a brave chicken on a big adventure, lost in the city, under a sea of umbrellas and long legs. The Year One students will be creating colourful umbrellas to brighten the city for Peggy. The children will also be learning about how illustrators use special techniques to create movement and shadows in their illustrations.

Year Two: 'Tom the Outback Postman' presents the true story of a ‘Real Australian Hero' who braved many hardships to make life saving deliveries to people living along the Birdsville Track. Students will create a collage of Tom's truck, loaded with the supplies he carried.

Year Three: ‘Python' by Chris Cheng' is both a fictional and factual text. Students will create an artwork of a python, focussing on the elements of colour and texture to represent its scales. During library lessons, students will create a ‘Did you know?' information plaque, about pythons, to accompany their artwork.

Year Four: The theme for Children's Book Week Australia 2013 is Read across the Universe. This theme reflects reading and enjoying a variety of genres. The Year Four students will bring, paint or take pictures of themselves reading in unusual ways, spaces and costumes. The students will be challenged to create Dr Seuss-like rhyming couplets that can be added in captions to make a creative presentation.

Year Five: ‘A True Story Lyrebird' by Jackie Kerin, is based on an historical newspaper clipping in 1932 about a woman living in the Dandenong area of Victoria who befriends a Lyrebird while documenting aspects of its life. The students will create an artwork, or diorama, of a Lyrebird paying particular attention to creating a magnificent tail. Students will make notes from a number of information sources which will be used to write an information report.

Year Six: The Queensland Art Gallery has published a book" Portrait of Spain for Kids" which explores artworks from the Prado Art Gallery in Madrid. Year Six will research major examples of portraiture and investigate how an artist might deliberately alter the reality they see, when they paint a person's portrait. They will use creativity, imagination and senses to express ideas, experiences and feelings when recreating a chosen portrait