The school is currently developing a School Excellence Plan (SEP) for 2025-2028. Included in the plan are the components of the school vision statement, the school context statement, purpose statement and two strategic directions. Strategic Direction One will be titled ‘Student Growth and Attainment’ focusing on a commitment to improving reading, numeracy and student attendance as well as setting up systems with collecting and using assessment data. Strategic Direction Two is related to ‘Enhancing Community and School Partnership to Benefit Student Learning Experiences’. This priority was discussed at previous P&C meetings.

Parent and teacher interviews for parents of Kindergarten students will occur towards the end of this school term. All parents of Kindergarten children are encouraged to attend to contribute to the important two way conversation about their child.

The school cross country for our Year 2-6 students will be held tomorrow Friday, 21 March on the school grounds and boundary council grounds. All children will be encouraged to participate on the day.

Thank you to the parents who have already offered their services. The carnival cannot safely proceed without parents or grandparents offering their time to help.  

Fun was had last Saturday at the trivia night organised by the school P&C. School parents braved the very warm evening to display their general knowledge in a competitive friendly event. A huge thank you to the P&C for enabling our community to come together, meeting other parents and having a laugh.

When promoting online safety the school is supported by Senior Constable West, the police youth liaison officer, at Castle Hill Police. Using laptops and iPads for learning requires protocols. We teach our students to become safe and responsible digital citizens by only sharing personal information with people they trust and keeping their computers safe. Students also learn about the importance of being aware of their digital footprint. A digital footprint, sometimes called a digital shadow or an electronic footprint, refers to the trail of data you leave when using the internet. It includes websites you visit, emails you send, and information you submit online. A digital footprint can be used to track a person's online activities and devices. A tip sheet for parents: www.telstra.com.au/content/dam/tcom/personal/consumer-advice/pdf/consumer/cyber-safety-digital-footprint.pdf

Students even accompanied by parents are strongly discouraged from walking across Ridgecrop Drive without using the pedestrian crossing. Although it is convenient to cross directly outside the administration building steps it is also potentially dangerous. We are very fortunate to have a NSW Transport crossing supervisor, Mr Lachlan Barnes, placed at the pedestrian crossing for the morning and afternoon bell times.

Greg McLaren
PRINCIPAL

Over the past fortnight Years 3 and 5 have completed their NAPLAN assessments with most students having the opportunity to catch up on those missed. 

Year 3 completed their writing assessment using pencil and paper with all other tests being completed online. The stimulus material for writing encouraged students to write a narrative about The Amazing Ride. Pictures to stimulate imaginations included a submarine, stretch limo, horse rider, surfer, dinosaur and a space shuttle. We hope the students enjoyed the opportunity to showcase their creative writing. 

At this stage only 60% of our Year 6 students have had their High School enrolment applications completed online. Please be aware that every student needs the application completed whether seeking placement at a government school or not. Ideally these will be completed by this Friday, 21 March to enable any errors or omissions to be rectified by the final closing date of Friday 28 March. 

The application can be accessed using the enrolment tab on the school website. Thank you to those who have already finalised this application. A reminder that the address used for the application must be the same as that on record with Samuel Gilbert. If you have moved it is important that you update this information with our school office. If you will be moving but have not yet done so, at this stage you will need to do an out of area application for the high school that is the local school for that address. Please don’t hesitate to speak to the office or Ms Barclay if you require additional help. 

We enjoyed celebrating Harmony Day on Tuesday and seeing many children proudly wearing outfits of their national dress. The day celebrates diversity and sends the positive message that everyone belongs. It is important for all children to respect each other and appreciate differences. 

In Week 2 of next term we are excited to be holding a Cultural Infusion Day for Kindergarten – Year 3 ( Monday 5 May) and Years 4-6 ( Tuesday 6 May). Students will be involved in 5 different workshops embracing the cultures of groups from around the world.
Cool Capoeira – martial arts meets dance to the sound of the African instrument the Berimbau.
Yalla! The rich traditions of the Arab world are explored with presenters form Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and beyond
Chinese Drumming -a hands on workshop where children explore Chinese traditions, instruments and beats.
Indonesian Shadow Puppetry – A performance by a master shadow puppeteer exploring the myths and legends of Indonesian history.
Polynesian Infusion/Aboriginal Story Telling -The availability of these presenters is still being confirmed. It will be one or the other. 

Children are encouraged to come on their day in cultural dress. This is not a mufti day so uniform should be worn if cultural dress is not available. 

Tomorrow we  will be holding our Years 2-6 Cross Country Carnival on the surrounding local and school grounds. Children should wear a house coloured tee shirt (ideally not their sport shirt), sport shorts/skort and running shoes. Hats, asthma medication and a water bottle should be taken with them to the oval.
The first 6 competitors in each age group will progress to the Zone carnival. Age groups are 8/9 Year olds, 10 years, 11 years and 12/13 years. Children run in the age group which they are turning this year. Eg. Born in September 2015– running as a 9 year old although currently 8.
Children in Year 2 who were born 2018 are not eligible to progress to the Zone carnival but will have the opportunity to run an amended course for fun on the day.
It is an expectation that all children participate unless they have a note from a parent explaining a medical reason for exemption. 

Next Thursday, 27 March, Selene L. will be representing Castle Hill Zone and Samuel Gilbert  at the Sydney West Swimming Carnival at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. Best wishes to Selene L. who will be swimming in the 50m 11 years backstroke and butterfly. 

Congratulations to Ronnie C. and Celine H. who represented Castle Hill PSSA in the SW Basketball Championships last Tuesday. Both boys and girls teams finished first in their pool and proceeded to the finals rounds. Unfortunately the boys were defeated in a very close semi final against the Ridges team, however the girls played an excellent semi final against St Marys securing a place in the grand final. The Ridges proved too strong for the girls in the end but to be runners up on the day was an outstanding achievement. 

Further congratulations to Celine who was one of the two Castle Hill girls selected to represent Sydney West at the NSW Championships in term 2.

On Monday 31 March school class photos will be taken as corresponded to you via School Bytes. This year we will be using “The School Photographer” for these photos.
Please ensure you have completed the permission section of the School Bytes email to ensure your child is included in the class photo. There is also a permission section for concept shots that will be taken on the day. No names will be used and children may be captured in these photos incidentally ( eg a group shot of a class working), individually or in a small group.
Sibling photos will be taken from 8:00am in the new hall. These are available free of charge to families who purchase two or more packs ( Blue, Green or Red). Please note these are for children enrolled at Samuel Gilbert PS, not for younger siblings.
Band photos will be taken on this day. Mrs Skinner will provide details to band members.
It is important that children wear full school uniform with black shoes and appropriate socks. 

Assemblies are held on Fridays in the new hall at 2:00pm.
In odd weeks we hold K-2 assemblies with Years 3-6 assemblies held in even weeks.
Week 10 in each term will be a whole school assembly. 

Week 9 – 2SB hosting K-2 Assembly   Week 10 – Whole School SRC and Hive Badge Presentation Assembly    Week 11 – ANZAC assembly ( Time TBA) 

For the safety of our students we ask that parents access the staff car park only when necessary. OOSH drop offs before 8:00 am are permitted as parents need  to sign their children in. Band students however should be dropped in the Kiss and Drop bays on Ridgecrop Drive and walk up the pedestrian path to Burragali. The only exception to this should be children who have very large instruments and are arriving well before 8:00am. 

In the afternoons NO parent should be entering the school car park before 3: 20pm as we still have children about. 

Cathie Barclay and Gilliane Appave
DEPUTY PRINCIPALS

How does oral language contribute to reading success?

Oral language is the foundation of all literacy skills. If young children experience rich oral language by talking with and listening to adults and other children, they will have a large ‘bank’ of spoken vocabulary, words they understand when used in spoken communication. 

Young children will have heard and joined in word play and rhyming and be aware of the sounds of English. They will be familiar with lots of different sentence types and understand how language can change in different situations. They will understand that words have meaning, and that we use language to communicate information, ideas, feelings and thoughts. 

All of the above skills assist children in becoming effective and capable readers. As children develop their oral language and communication skills, their vocabulary enhances along with an increase in background knowledge, and as a result, reading comprehension improves. 

What can parents and caregivers do at home to encourage oral language?

You can support your child in their oral language development by providing a variety of opportunities for them to listen and talk for different purposes.

Here are some of the best ways parents and caregivers can encourage oral language:

• Talk to your child about everyday events, experiences and activities and listen responsively. Ask open ended questions and answer questions they may have also.
• Describe what you and your child are doing, seeing, and feeling, expanding their vocabulary and understanding of language.
• Read aloud to your child at least once a day. Great books expose children to vocabulary and sentence structures that they won’t hear in everyday situations. Research has shown that reading aloud to children is a major factor in their success in learning to read at school.
• Talk with your child about the books you read aloud together. Ask your child about the characters, plot or setting; the themes and ideas raised by the book; topics they’d like to read or learn more about as a result of reading aloud.

Amanda Keane
Assistant Principal, Curriculum and Instruction

Our Trivia Night last Saturday was a wonderful evening for our parents and carers. Thank you to all who attended and supported the event as well as those who donated to a worthwhile cause. A very special thank you to Katie Pike who coordinated the event. We are delighted to announce that over $1,500.00 was raised on the night which will be used towards the purchase of portable seating for children who need to rest during play times on the oval. Thank you to everyone who attended and made an effort to get dressed up and decorate their tables, you made it an amazing night!  

The class parent WhatsApp groups for 2025 are now up and running. A big thank you to Shay Wallace and Emma Jaber who have volunteered as class parents for 5C. We now have all 26 classes covered with a class parent in 2025. Thank you to those who have volunteered and to Ms Appave for her support. The 2024 WhatsApp groups have now been closed. Thank you to our 2024 class parents who continued to support our classes during this transition period.

For parents and carers who are not already in their 2025 class WhatsApp group and would like to be added, please see the class parent list below and reach out to your class parent be added. Please contact Elizabeth Tye at etye@sgpspc.org.au if you need any assistance.

The P&C is working towards holding the Great Fete in August 2025.

• What is the Great Fete? The Great Fete is run by the P&C and supported by the parent and school community as a major fundraiser, held bi-annually. It is one of the largest school-based Fete’s in NSW and thousands of our local community come to support us. At our fete in 2023, we raised $37,000.00 which was given back to our school to provide technology and playground upgrades to benefit our students.
• What happens at the Great Fete? There are rides, Market and food stalls and entertainment. Just think of a smaller scale Easter show and you have the idea! There are only 5 months before the Fete and a lot of work to do.
• How can you help now? We need parents who are willing to join the coordinating team where roles for particular areas are allocated. We have parents who coordinate the rides, liaise with market stall holders, organise the white elephant stall and Entertainment to name a few. We need your help! Our first Fete planning meeting is being held online tonight, Thursday 20 March at 7:30-8:30pm. Fill in this form to register your attendance at the online meeting tonight:

https://forms.office.com/r/TAQ25KpnrQ

At the meeting, you will not be signed up for anything, but we invite you to come and find out what the needs are and how you can help. So many of our past and present children’s core memory at SGPS is the Great Fete. Help make it a special memory for your children and join in the fun! We look forward to seeing you there! Any questions, please contact Katie Pike at katie.pike@sgpspc.org.au.  

Our annual Mother’s Day Stall and Breakfast are a much loved event. Students enjoy attending the stall and using real money to select an item that they think their Mum, Grandma or mother figure would appreciate. Our Mother’s Day Breakfast is also a rare opportunity to share time with your children at school before the bell. The Mother’s Day stall for 2025 is scheduled to be held across two days on Wednesday 7^th May and Thursday 8^th May with left over stock sold before school until recess on Friday 9 May. The Mother’s Day Breakfast is scheduled to be held from 7:30am-8:30am on Friday 9 May.

Neither of these events can happen without a Coordinator. Thank you to those who have offered to help volunteer either at the stall or at the Breakfast, however we cannot run these events without a one or two people leading them. What does this involve?

Mother’s Day Stall Coordinator

• Ordering and purchasing items to be sold at the Mother’s Day stall, receiving the stock and creating an inventory;
• Setting up the stall, introducing the items to the students and classes, supporting volunteers on the day and re-stocking items as required
• Packing up the stall and providing an itemised record of inventory and cost/profit

Mother’s Day BBQ

• Ordering supplies for the Breakfast
• Organising orders and volunteers
• Event set up and pack down

Can you help?

The P&C will support you. We can provide details of the items that have previously been ordered and we will organise volunteers. Without a coordinator for these events, the P&C will not be in a position to run them. The Mother’s Day stall in particular has been a feature of our school for a number of years. Please consider your availability, reach out to a friend and contact Elizabeth Tye at etye@sgpspc.org.au  as soon as possible if you can assist to coordinate either event. A decision to proceed with the Stall and Breakfast will need to be made shortly. Of course, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out.

At our March P&C Meeting, we welcomed a new P&C Executive Member, Michelle Pratley. Michelle is a parent of Cameron (Year 4) and has decided to join the Executive to make a difference to the school community. If you see Michelle, please say hello! You might also see Michelle’s husband Greg, who spends a lot of time volunteering behind the scenes in our Band Program and also serves as our Band Treasurer. Welcome Michelle!

Will you join us for our final P&C meeting for Term 1? The SGPS P&C represents the parents and citizens of our school. We are well supported by the attendance of the school executive and we invite all parents to attend and learn about who we are and the support we offer your child/children.

Why not join us on Tuesday 8 April at 7:30pm in the School Library. If you would like to attend online, and have not previously received an online invitation, please contact our P&C Secretary, Jason Atkins at secretary@sgpspc.org.au to arrange to be sent the meeting link. We look forward to seeing you there!

We are looking forward to our Training Band’s first concert at the Hot Cross Buns Breakfast on Tuesday 8^th April commencing at 7:30am. A big thank you to Jana, Greg and Jaimy and the Band Committee for organising this event. All parents and extended family members are welcome to attend.

Our P&C fundraiser bricks will finally be laid! The bricks will be laid during the upcoming April holidays. Thank you to all our families for their patience and support as we have navigated a number of logistical challenges.

Do you need any winter uniform items? A reminder that in Term 2, students transition to winter uniform. The winter uniform requirements may be viewed on our website at: https://www.sgpspc.org.au/uniform. A reminder that our Uniform shop hours are Monday’s 8:15am-9:30am and Wednesdays 2:30pm-3:30pm. 

To place an online order visit Munch Monitor and create an account or sign in. 

• Fete planning meeting – Thursday 20 March 7:30-8:30pm online
• Hot Cross Bun Breakfast for Training Band – Tuesday 8 April 7:30am. 
• P&C Meeting – Tuesday 8 April at 7:30pm in the Library and online

Download the School App
Like the SGPS P&C Facebook page 

Connect by signing up for the class contact page 

If in the meantime you have any questions regarding the P&C, how you are get involved or how we can support you, please do not hesitate to contact our President, Katie Pike at president@sgpspc.org.au.

Kind regards,

Elizabeth Tye
SGPS P&C

The band is thriving, and it's been so rewarding to see the students flourish. Their progress with the music is right on track, and it's clear they’re enjoying each rehearsal and we can't wait to see them shine in upcoming performances!  

We are still on the hunt for a drummer! If your child or someone you know has at least 2 years of playing experience and is interested in joining the Performance Band, please contact sgpsbandcoordinator@gmail.com. Not only will they continue to grow as a musician, but they will also have the opportunity to form valuable, lasting friendships.

For students who are hiring an instrument and have not had it serviced recently, please leave your instrument in Burragali after your last rehearsal in Week 11, Term 1. We will take the instruments for servicing and have them ready for you at the start of Term 2.

• Monday, 31st March – Band Photos
  Final details will be emailed to parents.
  8:00 AM: Performance Band and Concert Band
  8:15 AM: Training Band

• Tuesday, 8th April – Hot Cross Buns Breakfast for Training Band
  7:20 AM: Breakfast starts at 7:30 AM (regular rehearsal time).
  Parents and family members are welcome to celebrate the achievements of the Training Band.

• Friday, 11th April – ANZAC Day Service Performance for Performance Band
  Students must bring their instruments and music. 

• Term 2
  Monday, 16th – Tuesday, 17th June – Band Camp
  All bands are to attend. Details will be emailed at the start of Term 2.
  Sunday, 22nd June (Afternoon) – Greater Western Sydney Music Festival
  Held at Rouse Hill Anglican, all bands will attend. Further details will be emailed to parents closer to the date.

• Term 3
  Sunday, 10th August – ASBOF Band Competition
  Performance and Concert Bands at Knox Grammar School.
  Sunday, 17th August – SGPS Great Fete Performance
  This performance will be held at the school. More details will follow.

There will be more performances throughout the year, but these are the key dates to take note of for now.

We are still on the hunt for a drummer if your child or someone you know has 2 years playing experience and wants to join Performance Band please contact sgpsbandcoordinator@gmail.com. Not only will they continue to grow as a musician they will have the opportunity to make valuable lasting friendships.

Could all students that are hiring an instrument and have not had your instrument serviced recently please leave your instrument in Burragali after your last rehearsal in week 11 Term 1. We will take them to be service and will have them read for you at the start of term 2.

Kind Regards,

Band Coordinators
Samuel Gilbert Public School Band

Raffle tickets have been sent home and they are $5 for the ten tickets. Please return them to the canteen with your Easter goodies in the next 2 weeks.

We have another new item on the menu a Chicken Pesto Pasta( nut free). We also have the Cheesy Vegetable Pasta and a new ice block a watermelon juicie.

Thursday 3rd April at 9am we will be wrapping the Easter prizes if you can help please let us know in the canteen. It should be only take abut 1 hour to put them together.

Thanks Jenelle, Sue and Kiarn

Week 8
Friday, 21 March
School Cross Country 

Week 9
Tuesday, 25 March 
Halogen Young Leaders

Week 10
Monday, 31 March 
School Photos
Wednesday, 2 April
Castle Hill HS Workshop and concert with SGPS Performance Band
Paul Kelly Cup AFL
Friday, 4 April 
Whole School Assembly SRC badging 

Week 11
Tuesday, 8 April 
Back up Cross Country
Band Hot Cross Bun Breakfast
Wednesday, 9 April 
Easter Hat Parade
Thursday, 10 April
Combined Scripture Service
Friday, 11 April 
ANZAC Service
Last Day of Term 1