Twice a year student progress reports are sent home. Semester 1 reports will be sent home Wednesday, 1 July. The report aims to show your child’s academic results in each of the Key Learning Areas: English; Mathematics; Science and Technology; Human Society and its Environment (HSIE) - History & Geography; Creative Arts; and Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE).

The report also aims to provide information on your child’s work habits and social development. A student progress report is a time to dually celebrate successes and identify any weaknesses in your child’s academic and social progress.

The contemporary method of reporting encompasses the A–E grading scale which allows teachers to report student academic achievement ‘at point in time’ using clear standards.

Achievement grade ‘C’ - sound, for example, offers a judgement that the student is working at their grade level. Teachers make a professional judgement as to which grade best matches the standard students have achieved through ongoing formal and informal assessments.

I wish to acknowledge the teachers for the preparation of these reports using the evidence from various forms of assessment.

Curriculum and policy monitoring (CPM) meetings are an assurance process for each school in the NSW Department of Education regarding the implementation of policy and curriculum. CPM looks at compliance in relation to the NESA NSW Registration of the Government Schooling System Manual requirements, Department policy and standard expectations, providing opportunities for professional dialogue and sharing amongst schools. Ms Hayley, Ms Keane, Ms Appave, and Ms Barclay joined me to represent the school when presenting our systems and processes to an independent review panel. The independent panel validated every aspect of the CPM process with no follow-up actions required by our school. We were able to demonstrate that our school has all the necessary processes in place to ensure compliance with curriculum and policy requirements.

Arriving before rostered teacher supervision means your child is not formally watched by teaching staff. At Samuel Gilbert PS and in other NSW public schools, formal playground supervision generally begins 30 minutes before the bell to commence learning for the day. For our school morning supervision commences from 8:20 am. Students should not arrive before this time unless they are enrolled in Outside School Hours Care (OOSH) or participating in a supervised program eg band, dance or interschool sport practice.

Ongoingly concerns are raised by school staff, parents and other community members about the pedestrian safety and local road users at the cessation of school each day. Yesterday an observational assessment was undertaken of students leaving the school from 2.55pm and the local roads traffic. Joining me was the Hills Council road safety officer, an Education NSW road safety officer and an Education NSW WH&S advisor. It is extremely important that all accidents including near misses are reported as too other incidents. Reporting incidents and suggestions will enable changes for safety improvement to be further considered by Hills Council and Education NSW. Options to report include emailing the school samuelgilb-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au, the Hills Council council@thehills.nsw.gov.au or the NSW Police Assistance Line depending on the incident.

Our Samuel Gilbert OOSH were recently assessed by its regulator. The outcome from the assessors resulted in the grading of ‘exceeding’. That ranking is quite rare for any OOSH. We are extremely grateful as school community to Ms Lesley, her leadership team and staff as well as the OOSH committee for ensuring the absolute best service is on offer for our students.

Many thanks to those parents who have already notified the office about their child starting Kindergarten in 2027. If any current Samuel Gilbert PS parent has a child who will be starting school next year or if any of our families have neighbours in that position, please inform them Samuel Gilbert PS is now taking enrolments for next year. It is important to get enrolments in as soon as possible as this assists our planning for 2027. Enrolment forms are available online https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/going-to-a-public-school/enrolment/primary-school-enrolment

Thank you to all families who have paid their Statement of Account. As you know these funds allow us to offer quality educational experiences and activities for our students. If you are yet to settle your account I would be grateful if you could do so as soon as possible so that school finances can be finalised by the end of the term. Please contact the school office on 8855 9500 if you wish to discuss any items on your account.

We very much appreciate your support to enhance your child’s experience at school.

As the end of Term 2 holidays approach, it is the perfect time to plan fun and engaging activities so no one can say they are ‘bored’. Below are some great ‘non screen time’ options to keep your child/ren active, learning, and entertained during the chilly season:

1. Outdoor Nature Walks and Exploration

▪ Take children on nature walks around Castle Hill Heritage Park Reserve, Caterson Reserve or other local parks. Winter is a great time to observe seasonal changes in plants and wildlife spotting.

▪ Encourage children to collect leaves, twigs, or interesting rocks to create a nature collage or journal.

2. Creative Arts and Crafts

▪ Organise winter-themed craft projects such as making paper snowflakes, painting winter scenes, or creating holiday cards.

▪ Use recycled materials for eco-friendly and imaginative art activities.

3. Cooking and Baking Together

▪ Simple cooking projects like baking biscuits or making simple meals can be fun and educational.

▪ This encourages life skills, reading through recipes, and basic maths through measurements.

4. Indoor Science Experiments

▪ Conduct easy, safe experiments at home like making a vinegar and baking soda volcano or growing crystals.

▪ These activities promote curiosity and scientific thinking.

5. Reading and Storytelling Time

▪ Build a cosy reading nook and encourage children to read winter-themed books or explore new genres.

▪ Family storytelling sessions where children create and share their own stories based on holiday themes.

6. Museums and Castle Hill or Dural Library Visits

▪ A Hills Metro trip to Sydney for free entry to the Australian Museum and visiting our Council libraries which offer winter holiday programs and workshops tailored for children.

▪ Check local listings for Hills Council events and book sessions early.

7. Physical Activities

▪ Visit an indoor swimming pool, a 3 hour acrobatics workshop at Castle Hill RSL gym or organise group games at home if outdoor play is limited by weather.

▪ Simple exercises or dance parties indoors can help expend energy and support physical health.

8. Community Volunteer Opportunities

▪ Older primary children can participate in age-appropriate volunteering, such as helping at local charities or community gardens.

▪ This fosters a sense of community and social responsibility.

Encouraging a balance of educational, physical, and creative activities will ensure children have a stimulating and enjoyable end of Term 2 holiday.

As a reminder this will be the last newsletter for term 2. We wish all families a safe and enjoyable school holiday when it arrives 2.55pm Friday, 3 July. Keep warm!

Students return to school for Term 3 on Tuesday, 21 July.

Monday, 20 July is a school development day. Families will need to make alternate arrangements for their children on this day as school staff will be involved in professional learning activities.

Greg McLaren 
PRINCIPAL

Last Monday Arius S., Joel R. and Jackson L. represented Castle Hill Zone PSSA in the Sydney  West Football Championships at Valentine Sports Park. 

The boys had an extremely successful day going through all rounds undefeated with tough games against St Mary’s and Blacktown ending in nil all draws. A strong win against Parramatta in the semi final saw them into the Grand Final facing Blacktown once more who had also been undefeated throughout the day. 

Once again the Blacktown team proved to be a formidable opponent with the Blacktown keeper depriving Castle Hill from scoring despite two powerful strikes at goal. The game again ended in a nil all draw with both teams being declared joint premiers of the carnival. 

Well done boys! Further congratulations to Joel and Jackson on their invitation to an additional trial for selection into the Sydney West squad, and again to Joel for being selected as a reserve for this squad.

We are pleased to have enough children to enter a team in the Sydney West Orienteering Championships to be held at Nurragingy Reserve Doonside on Thursday 6 August. If your child is still interested please let the office know and you will be emailed the necessary information via School Bytes. If you have not received this email and had registered interest please contact the office.

Yesterday the Girls Knockout netball team played Milperra PS at Milperra in the regional quarter finals of the state knockout competition. The girls played a great game securing themselves a spot in the regional semi finals with a 27 – 11 win.  Congratulations girls!

The Boys Softball Knockout team will play Narraweena PS at Castle Glen next Monday in their Sydney metropolitan quarter final. We wish them the best of luck. 

Next Wednesday 1 July Claudia M., Bonnie-Mae J., Ariana E., Jacob F., Luke F., Hunter M., Archer M. and Lachlan M. will be representing Castle Hill at the Sydney West Softball Carnival. We wish them all the best of luck for a successful and enjoyable day. 

We were blessed with beautiful weather last Tuesday for our school athletics carnival. The changed venue this year worked well and all children participated actively throughout the day. Unfortunately time did not permit for the running of the 1500m event so this will be held early next term at Castle Glen. As this is a specialised event families will be contacted via School Bytes to give permission for participation in this event. 

Permission for participation in the high jump will also be requested as again, as a specialised event, some experience is required. 

A huge thanks to Mr Whybrow and Mrs Khakh for their coordination of the event and all staff for their contribution on the day to provide our students with an enjoyable day and the opportunity to compete for selection to represent our school at the Zone Carnival next term. 

The team showed excellent communication and game sense throughout their pool matches, coming out victorious against St Mary's (3-0), Mt Druitt (5-2), Parramatta/Auburn/Merrylands (7-0), and Ridges (5-3). The girls played brilliantly together, resulting in some fantastic team tries as well as some from pure individual skill.
In the Semi Final, the girls pulled together to come back from an early try to finish the game on top against Seven Hills/Wenty 5-1. Their resilience and trust in one another was great to see. A tough Grand Final against Penrith resulted in a 0-6 loss but the girls played a wonderful team game until the siren. A massive congratulations to all the girls and Mr Lau, the team coach, for a very strong 2nd place finish. 

We are looking forward to celebrating Samuel Gilbert’s 40^th anniversary on Friday 21 August. 

The school and P&C have a special evening planned to be enjoyed by the school and local community. 

Please mark the date in your diaries, with gates opening at 4:30pm for school tours, memorabilia display, food trucks and stalls and culminating with a fireworks display at 7:30pm. 

Congratulations to Mikayla Lao (a) and Deeja S . (b)  on having their logo designs selected to be used as our promotional logos for Samuel Gilbert’s birthday celebrations. Congratulations to all other students who submitted designs, your ideas were excellent and the judges’ decision was made very difficult to select only two. 

Please let families from the past know about this event and check out the Samuel Gilbert 40th Anniversary Facebook page for updates and further information. 

Congratulations to our four finalists who admirably represented Samuel Gilbert at the Multi - Cultural Public Speaking Competition last week. Rhiannah S., Keaton W., Zaria K. and Parnia S. all did a wonderful job with their prepared speech and bravely did their best with the very challenging impromptu speeches. Thank you to Mrs Khakh for supporting them at this event.

The SRC is excited to be holding it’s first Mufti Day for this year next Thursday. The Theme is “Pyjama Day” so children can come to school snuggled up in their cosiest pyjamas and oodies  if they wish. They are asked to provide a gold coin ( or more) to support our school based charity, Stewart House. We thank you in advance for supporting Stewart House and our SRC

It was wonderful to see the progress our bands have made in just six months under the expert tutelage of band director Mrs Skinner and conductor Mr Goddard. We thank them for the wonderful performances presented by each band last night. 

Mrs Skinner challenged the audience with some beat and rhythm patterns so they could experience for themselves the complexities of playing in a band. 

Our students should all be very proud of the progress they have made with many being recognised for completing more than 1000 minutes of practice at home so far this year. A huge thanks to Mr Pratley who dedicates many hours of his time to ensure band events such as this concert run smoothly for the enjoyment of our school community. 

Cathie Barclay and Gilliane Appave
DEPUTY PRINCIPALS

The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) annual WriteOn competition provides a wonderful opportunity for students to showcase their creativity and develop their skills as young writers. The competition is open to primary school students who have demonstrated strong potential in writing.

This year, students were challenged to write an imaginative text of up to 500 words inspired by the quote, “It was a small thing, but it made a difference.” Winning entries will be published in The Best of WriteOn anthology and celebrated at the prestigious WriteOn Awards Ceremony held later this year at the State Library of NSW.

At Samuel Gilbert Public School, our talented writers have been working hard to refine their craft and create engaging, imaginative stories. We are incredibly proud of all students who participated and commend them for the effort, creativity and enthusiasm they brought to the competition.

A special congratulations goes to Chloe W (4P) and Max Z (6W), whose entries were selected as our Stage 2 and Stage 3 submissions to NESA. This is a fantastic achievement, and we wish both students the very best as they await the results, which will be announced in Term 3.

For this newsletter edition, enjoy Chloe’s and Max’s stories. Be sure to look out for future editions, where we will continue to showcase the wonderful writing talents of our SGPS students.

Amanda Keane

Relieving Assistant Principal, Curriculum and Instruction

Worn leather boots tread lightly on the damp, forest ground. The wind whispered untold secrets in the foggy air. Moonlight shone down in between the gaps of the towering willow trees. Daria trekked through the eerie woods shouldering a pack of seeds and a shovel borrowed from her aunt’s gardening supplies. She knew her aunt would be furious if she was still gone by morning.

These were Moon Lilies; one could only plant them in the darkest hours before dawn, so Daria would only have this one chance to plant these in time for her cousin’s birthday. Kazuha rambled on and on about all types of plants to anyone who would listen. These flowers meant a lot to her. She grabbed the shovel from the waistband on her hip, soundlessly shovelling the grimy dirt. Suddenly, a low snarl echoed from far away. Daria froze. She didn’t dare move an inch in case the snarl was coming in her direction. The heavy shovel clattered out of her hand with a loud metallic bang. Daria was on highalert; she angled her boots toward the way she knew was the exit. The growl sounded closer now.

It sounded even closer.

And closer.

Until it seemed only a few footfalls away.

Daria tried to move but her limbs felt like jelly. A few stray lines of fur poked out from the alcove of lush leaves where she was hiding. A steady thump seemed to follow in the direction of the snarl – it must've been the paws of the animal shielded by the leaves of the forest’s greenery.

Daria’s heartbeat felt too large for her body; her dirtied hands were clammy and slicked with sweat. Her mind raced at a thousand miles an hour. Just as she got ready to dash away, finally regaining her senses from being frozen in fear, the world seemed to run too fast and too slow all at the same time.

Daria snatched her bag of seeds and dirt covered shovel. Then, without a second thought, she ran.

Daria ran and ran, uncaring if her lungs burned vigorously or that the soles of her boots seemed to almost fall off, or that her soiled cardigan slipped off her shoulders.

Everything seemed to just be a blur in the distance.

Daria could feel nothing but her feet brushing against the damp soil and the winds howling and screaming in her face, flapping her clothes in the wind. Her brows furrowed in concentration, trying to get away from the animal. A few seeds of Moon Lilies fell from the sack, but Daria didn’t care in that moment.

Daria’s boots finally hit gravel. She ran straight home, ignoring the burn in her lungs.

Although Daria thought nothing of the fallen Moon Lilies, the forgotten plants grew. Just in time for Kazuha’s birthday.

Although she thought she failed, the Moon Lilies grew anyway.

Sometimes, a small thing makes a big difference.

-Chloe W

Taking a few deep breaths, Leo stepped onto the stage to present his greatest invention – a brain chip which encodes AI directly into one’s mind – and glanced at the crowd. An endless sea of rival executives stared back, making his heart pound like an elite boxer. Each of these people could decide the fate of his life.

That was when he felt it. A surge of timidness. It was like lightning, quicker than the blink of an eye, yet stronger than his own iron will. It started to force his eyelids shut. Murmurs started to spread around him.

Then it ended. The stage lights, the murmuring, it all evaporated, replaced by solid brick walls, the playful laughter of children, and the harsh, searing, afternoon sun. And there he was, 10 years old, lurking all by himself in the shadows of a dark corner, watching the popular kids play a game of basketball.

Suddenly, the ball rolled out of bounds, landing right at Leo’s feet. All eyes turned to look at him. Leo froze, paralysed with sudden attention.

“Hey, throw it back!” a kid yelled.

“Come on, it’s not rocket science, we don’t have all day!”

Someone moved in front of Leo, blocking his view. “Guys, leave him alone.”

The bullies froze, a look of shock on their faces. The kid turned around. “Hey, I’m Ricky. Don’t listen to them. You didn’t do anything wrong.” He picked the ball up and put it in Leo’s hands. “Here, I’ll show you how to shoot…”

Leo stared at the ball in his trembling hands. For the first time in his life, he realised the spotlight didn’t burn. It felt warm.

Five years later, the court vanished. He stood behind a folding table, watching a crowd assemble around his undecorated science fair booth. The crude little device, composed of a headset and sensors, had gathered a group of popular kids, who openly mocked the project he spent months on.

“This kid thinks he’s the next Edison. Look at him!” One laughed.

Leo stayed cool. Ricky’s words all those years ago taught him a lesson. To never give up. He would improve his device. He would prove everyone wrong.

Seven years later, he was packing up late at night, clearing out his university laboratory at two in the morning. He stared at a crashing monitor screen with bloodshot eyes. The room was pin-drop silent after his professor had left. His harsh words played over and over in his mind. “Stop wasting time on your little fantasy creations.”

But he wasn’t just that helpless child anymore. He wouldn’t let anyone stop him. He opened his eyes, and he was more confident than ever. Proud of his creation, he spoke with passion and emotion. Then, it hit him. All these years, he had been teaching code to talk, to listen, to understand humanity, all because one boy shared those things with him all those years ago. It was a small thing, but it made a difference.

-Max Z

On Monday, 22^nd of June, Year 1 was visited by Jess from The Hills Shire Library at Castle Hill. She explained to the students how to become a member of the library and how to borrow books. She also encouraged our Year 1 students to join the Year One Reading Club. Year 1 students can join, free of charge, at any of the Hills Shire Library locations to encourage a love of reading.  Jess then read one of her favourite stories, Frank’s Red Hat. 

If you would like more information about the Year 1 Reading Club, please see the attached leaflet.

As the term comes to end certain stock will be reduced or out of stock. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Next week still has a few shifts available if you are able to help out. Term 3 roster will be available at the beginning of  next term. Enjoy the break.

Thanks Jenelle, Sue and Kiarn 

On Sunday, 14th June, all three school bands performed at the GWS Music Festival, and they all played exceptionally well. The Training Band, for their second big performance, did an outstanding job. The Concert Band and Performance Band also showcased their talents beautifully. 

We hope that all the children, parents, and families who came to support their children had a wonderful and memorable time!

On Wednesday, 24th June, we held our Winter Concert in the New Hall, and all three bands performed once again. The venue was filled with parents, family, and friends. It was a wonderful evening enjoyed by all.

By the way we will have rehearsals all next week finishing with Performance Band on Thursday 2^nd July and resuming in Term 3 on Tuesday 21^st July with Training Band.

  Upcoming Events for Term 3:

• All Bands Workshop

  Sunday, 2nd August — Afternoon at school (Week 2)

• Education Week Performances  

  Monday, 3rd August — All bands playing at school (Week 3)

• ASBOF at Knox Grammar School Sunday, 16th August (week 4)

  - Concert Band at 12:00 pm  

  - Performance Band at 1:30 pm 

• Training Band Performance 

  Friday, 18th September — Playing at the school assembly (Week 9)

Please Note:  

All event details will be posted on Bandforte https://www.bandforte.com.au

Please use Bandforte to confirm your child's attendance at all events or to notify us of any absences due to sickness, dental appointments, or other commitments.

If you do not have access to Bandforte, please contact the Band Coordinator via email: sgpsbandcoordinator@gmail.com 

Kind regards,

Band Co-ordinator Samuel Gilbert Public School Band

Following on from their recent Band Camp and performance at the GWS Music Festival this Term, our Band Students have been busy! Congratulations to all our Band students for a fabulous Term 2 Winter Concert on Wednesday evening. The students hard work and talent were certainly on display and they performed brilliantly for their captive audience, well done! 

 Thank you to our parents and carers for all their support of the Band Program this Term. A big thank you to Cathie Barclay and our school executive and staff for their ongoing support. Thank you also to Greg Pratley and the parent volunteer Band Committee for all that you do to ensure that our Band Program at SGPS is successful.   

 THE COUNTDOWN IS ON! ❄️ 

A Winter Wonderland is coming to our school! 

Join us on Friday 31st July for an unforgettable evening of music, dancing, prizes and snow-filled fun as we transform the school into the coolest disco of the year. 

✨ Snow Machine 

✨ Awesome Music 

✨ Great Prizes 

✨ Winter Wonderland Vibes 

Tickets go on sale next week, so keep an eye out for more information coming soon. 

Save the date, tell your friends and get your outfit ready! 

🪩 Friday 31st July 

❄️ Winter Wonderland School Disco 

Our next P&C meeting will be held in Term 3 on Tuesday 11th August at 7:30pm. We would love to see you in person in the School Library or alternatively, online. If you would like to join the meeting online and have not previously done so, please email a request for the online meeting link to secretary@sgpspc.org.au.

· P&C K-6 Disco: Friday 31 July. Details to follow.

· P&C Meeting @ 7:30pm Tuesday 11 August 2026: 7:30pm

· SGPS 40th Anniversary Celebration: Friday 21 August 2026. Details to follow.

For more information about the SGPS P&C, who we are and what we do, please check out the following:

• Website: https://www.sgpspc.org.au

• Facebook page: https://ww.facebook.com/SGPSPC

• School website: https://www.samuelgilbertnsw.edu.au

• School app: You can find the link to the school app on our front page of the https://www.sgpspc.org.au website

Kind Regards,

Elizabeth Tye

SGPS P&C  

etye@sgpspc.org.au

Library borrowing fact: So far this year, 10 946 items have been borrowed. It is wonderful to see so many children borrowing books from the library, keep up the great efforts! Our mid-year recall of all books is currently underway, as such there will be no borrowing until Week 1, Term 3. Please take this time to double check your homes for any school library books and send them back to the library.

All donated books are ready for covering, if there are any families willing to take a bag of books and cover them during the holidays, please stop in at the library and I will give you a bag and the contact necessary to cover the books – I even provide lessons on request!

I have two orders of books from the Book Fair held in my office, unfortunately the students who placed these orders forgot to leave their name and class when making the order, if your child has not received their Book Fair order yet, please encourage them to come and see me in the library to collect their books.

The Thursday Morning Read is on every week (except during Book Fair), Thursday Morning at 8:20 am in the tiered Learning Space in the Library. All are welcome, students, siblings, parents, and grandparents, come along and listen to some fun stories before school. We will be reading some fun and entertaining books as well as some other books celebrating the many different cultural events that occur throughout the year. I look forward to seeing lots of you on Thursday morning.

If you have some time, please pop in and see me for a bag of books and some clear contact to cover some of our new acquisitions for the library collection. This is a great opportunity to see some of the popular books that your children may be interested in borrowing and give you the opportunity to encourage them to borrow some new books to read. Keep an eye on the School App for notifications that there are books in need of covering.

End of Borrowing Semester 1

Wk11: Monday - Overdue notices distributed to classes

Book Club 

Wk10/11: Order #4 will be distributed as soon as possible after it arrives at school, keep an eye out for your books. 

Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC)

Ongoing until Friday 18 September, 2026.

Yours in reading,

Adam Hands, 

Librarian.