Next Friday, 21 August, present, past and future school community members are invited to attend a celebration at the school to mark 40 years of education at Samuel Gilbert PS. 

The special occasion will include a formal welcome at 5.30pm with inclusions of a P&C barbeque, select few market stalls, food trucks, coffee vans, memorabilia display, student and community activities, performance groups, open classrooms (until 6pm) and fireworks. Families may wish to arrive from any time after 4.30pm but note that the fireworks are scheduled for 7.30pm. More information can be found in this newsletter.

At Samuel Gilbert PS we strive to help every child to feel known, valued and cared for every day. Bullying No Way Week runs from 17-21 August 2026. The week brings us together to help prevent bullying and violence. This year's theme is ‘Small Acts. Big Impact’. Students are at the heart of the awareness week and are a big part of the solution to prevent bullying. This topic is delivered throughout the year as part of our formal personal development (PDHPE) curriculum as well as through other occasions in class and at assemblies.

The Department defines bullying as….

Bullying is behaviour that is intended to cause harm. It usually involves a misuse of power and happens more than once. Bullying can be verbal, physical or social. It can happen in person or online and may be carried out by an individual or a group.

This week especially is an opportunity to bring our whole school community together to send a powerful message that bullying and violence are never okay, and for us all to promote NSW Department of Education and school’s bullying prevention strategies. 

As we reach the midpoint of the term, it presents a valuable opportunity for families to connect with their children about their learning journey. These conversations can help build confidence, clarify goals, and strengthen the home and school partnership.

Here are some key questions to guide your discussion:

• What are you learning? Why is it important?
   This facilitates children to articulate the purpose behind their learning and make connections to real-world applications.
• How are you going with that?
   Encourages reflection on progress and effort, not just outcomes.
• How do you know you are improving?
   Promotes self-assessment and awareness of feedback, rubrics, or personal goals.
• Where do you go if you need assistance to improve?
   Reinforces help-seeking behaviours and reminds students of the support available—teachers, peers, online resources, or even strategies they have learned.

These conversations do not need to be long or formal just a few minutes of added interest can make a big difference.

Science at Samuel Gilbert PS assists our students become curious, informed, and capable learners and prepares them for future challenges. Next week is National Science Week. The 2026 theme is ‘Seeds of Science: Nurturing Knowledge for All’. To mark this occasion the students will experience a hands-on onsite science show in addition to the semester science unit taught in class. Jollybops Science Show will be visiting the school next Tuesday for an engaging show for each learning stage. Please ask your child about this experience next Tuesday afternoon.

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

In the coming weeks a survey will be sent to school families via the School App to ascertain your opinion about the fortnightly school newsletter. We encourage you to offer your feedback.

Greg McLaren 
PRINCIPAL

It was great to have so many family members visit for Open Day last week. We hope you enjoyed the opportunity to step inside our busy classrooms and the entertainment provided by our bands, choral and dance groups. 

Next Friday 21^st August is our BIG celebration of Samuel Gilbert Public School’s 40^th year.

We encourage all families to join us in this celebration. The gates open at 4:30pm, there will be a formal welcome with the band playing at 5:30pm, and the evening concludes with a spectacular fireworks display at 7:30pm. The fireworks will be provided by Foti who are responsible for the acclaimed Sydney New Year fireworks each year. 

Feel free to come along at a time that suits, tour the classrooms, view the memorabilia display in the old hall or just come along to enjoy a bite to eat from the food trucks and watch the fireworks. 

We hope it is a fun night for all. 

Any past band members who would like to join our Performance Band 

in presenting a 40^th Anniversary commissioned piece of music please email the school office samuelgilb-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au with your name and instrument and we will forward the music to you. 

Thank you to the families who have distributed leaflets about the evening to the local community. A reminder to ensure pets are looked after while the fireworks display is in progress between 7:30 and 7:40pm.

Congratulations to students who will be representing Samuel Gilbert PS at the Zone Athletics Carnival on Monday 24 August. We wish you the best of luck. 

Please note that our competitors in the 1500 m race who placed 1^st and 2^nd are listed above but this event is dependent on times across the zone. We have not yet been notified of the qualifiers (10 fastest in Zone) at this stage. Permission notes will be sent to these students if they qualify. All others have been sent information via School Bytes. 

Well done to the students who participated in our first Sydney West Orienteering Day. From all accounts it was a huge success and all children had a great day. Thank you to Mrs Khakh for supporting our team on the day, her report appears later in this newsletter. 

What a fabulous day of orienteering at Nurragingy Reserve in Doonside! Twenty-eight students represented our school, navigating their way through the beautiful bushland and gardens. With picturesque lakes, water features and the stunning Chang Lai Yuan Chinese Gardens as the backdrop, it was certainly a spectacular location for the event.

Our students achieved some amazing results. In the relay, Jed, Asher and Joel placed an incredible 3rd and Olivia, Aria and Zaria achieved an impressive 5th out of 64 teams. Mia, Celine and Lara all placed in the top 10 for Year 6 Girls, while Aria and Seren finished in the top 7 for Year 5 Girls. A special congratulations goes to Ashton, who achieved an outstanding 3rd place in the Year 4 Boys event.

Beyond the fantastic results, we were incredibly proud of the way ALL 28 students represented our school. They encouraged one another, demonstrated wonderful sportsmanship and embraced the challenge with enthusiasm. It was a wonderful day filled with teamwork, determination and plenty of smiles! Thank you to the parents who attended and supported our students.

Full results can be viewed on the Bold Horizons website. Go to Events → Event Results and select 6 August to view the results.

Mrs Nareen Khakh

Congratulations to the Netball Knockout team and Mrs Foscholo who won the Regional Semi Final on Wednesday against Narellan Vale Public School. After a tense first half with the scores level pegging throughout, the SGPS girls started to create a gap in the third quarter which they extended on, into the final quarter, winning 30 -22. They will now play the winner of the Regentville / Kings Langley Public Schools’ semi final in the Regional Final, to be played by the end of August. Well done girls and best of luck for the next round. 

On Monday Jerry Z. and Aria F. represented Samuel Gilbert in the Regional Final of the Premier’s Spelling Bee. Both students competed against 31 others from schools across the Sydney Metropolitan region. After the first four rounds of seen words both Jerry and Aria entered the later rounds of unseen words. 

Jerry successfully tackled “melodramatic”, “prestige” and “accomplice” but was finally tricked in Round 9 on “envisage”, placing him equal third in the competition. A fabulous result. 

“Insurgent”, “equivocal” and “melaleuca” had Aria off to a challenging start but it was ultimately “negligible” that tripped her up in Round 6 placing her equal 6^th overall. Another excellent effort.

Congratulations Jerry and Aria on great results. 

By the time the next Newsletter is published Year 5 will be actively engaged at Broken Bay for their Year 5 Camp. 

We hope they have amazing time and thank Miss Ebrahimi, Mrs Corso, Mr Whybrow, Mrs Grossmith and Ms Keane for giving up their personal time to provide this opportunity for our students. 

If a student is away from school whether for the whole day, they arrive late, or they leave early, absences need to be explained. We kindly remind you that if your child arrives at school after the bell, they must come directly to the front office upon arrival. A parent or guardian is required to accompany their child to the office to obtain a late note and to provide an explanation for the late arrival. This procedure is essential to ensure compliance with the Department of Education's attendance requirements and helps us maintain accurate records for the safety and wellbeing of all students. We appreciate your cooperation in supporting timely attendance and the smooth operation of our school day.

Please be reminded that approaching and speaking to a student on school premises, or while they are entering or leaving the school, without the permission or presence of their parent or guardian, is considered harassment and intimidation. Such behaviour is a serious matter and is a reportable offence. We ask all members of our community to respect these boundaries to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students.

If you have concerns about incidents between students or the way an issue has been handled, we encourage you to trust the school to address the matter appropriately. If you are not satisfied or would like further clarification, please speak directly with the school staff rather than approaching students yourself. This helps us maintain a safe and respectful environment for everyone. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Cathie Barclay and Gilliane Appave
DEPUTY PRINCIPALS

Vocabulary refers to the words we must know and understand to communicate effectively. It is the knowledge of words and word meanings. Reading vocabulary refers to words we recognise or use in print. 

Vocabulary plays an important role in word recognition. Your child is more likely to be able to read a word if they find a match between the word on the page and a word they have learnt through listening and speaking. This also supports them to read related words.

Vocabulary is also the key to reading comprehension. Readers cannot understand what they are reading without knowing what most of the words mean. As children learn to read more advanced texts, they must learn the meaning of new words that are not part of their oral vocabulary.

Your child may have come home from a day of learning at school and discussed with you the three-tier model for vocabulary development. Tier 1 words are the common, everyday words that most children enter school knowing already – either in English or their first language.  They do not usually require explicit instruction, however, where they do, particularly for students learning Standard Australian English, they are easily explained and understood, as they are highly concrete nouns, verbs and adjectives. Some examples are 'small', 'big' or 'walk'. Tier 1 words will continue to be acquired from everyday life including through school life. 

Tier 2 words occur across a variety of domains and subjects. They appear more frequently in texts than in oral language, so children are less likely to learn them without engaging with texts. They usually have multiple meanings based on the context they are used in. Tier 2 words are essential for building formal academic language and they add precision and sophistication to texts. For example, ‘miniscule’ is a more precise way of saying the Tier 1 word 'small', or 'saunter' instead of 'walk' or 'atrocious' instead of 'bad'. These words require explicit teaching as they are unlikely to be part of children’s everyday oral language.

Tier 3 words are often limited to specific topics and domains and are likely to be new for all students. Some examples of Tier 3 words might be 'Pantheon', 'diameter' and 'epidermis'.  In general, we learn these words when there is a specific need.

To help your child learn new words at home, consider asking them where the word fits into the three-tier model and how do they know. Also build vocabulary into everyday routines - as you talk with your child, or when reading with them. Define new words together and work with your child so they can become more familiar with challenging words.

Amanda Keane

 Assistant Principal, Curriculum and Instruction

WOW what wonderful start to Term 3 we have had in KJ! We kicked off the Term by celebrating a very special milestone - 100 Days of Kindergarten! Counting our school days has become a favourite part of our daily routine, and we had lots of fun celebrating this achievement together.

This term, KJ have been learning about digraphs and trigraphs, including /sh/, /ch/, /tch/, /th/ and /ng/. Each morning, we practise recognising and writing our sounds, as well as blending and segmenting phonemes. Our mini whiteboard activities provide an engaging way for students to practise and strengthen their developing phonics skills.

Our Wednesday visits with our Year 6 buddies are always a highlight! This term, we have been developing our technology skills by exploring coding. We have been using our iPads to learn about coding concepts and have loved putting our problem-solving skills to the test.

We have also been busy rehearsing for our assembly item next week! In English, we have been exploring stories about friendship and belonging. We are excited to bring these themes to life on stage. I can’t wait to see our KJ stars shine!

Miss Johns – KJ Teacher

The Hive is buzzing this term and we are now open from Monday to Thursday each week. It is wonderful to see a mix of K-6 students coming in each day. This term we have a variety of activities on offer including making spirograph artworks, drawing, using the minecraft building blocks, card and other board games, imaginative play and many other fun things. A huge thanks must go to our Hive Leaders and especially those who have volunteered to take on an extra day this term.

Bee Kind

Bee Helpful

Bee Creative

Bee Amazing

Mrs N. Medcalf (Learning and Support Teacher)

Last week I had the pleasure of taking two of our vocal ensembles on excursions. On Tuesday I took Mrs Spears' Stage 3 Vocal Ensemble to the Opera House to perform in the Festival of Choral Music. What a treat it was for our students to perform on such an iconic stage with hundreds of other students from public schools across the state.   We were expertly conducted by Rachel Kelly and were accompanied by the fabulous North Coast Festival Orchestra and the NSW Public Schools Jazz Ensemble. This is a very prestigious event and it was a joy to be a part of it. On Wednesday I took the Year 4 students from my Stage 2 Vocal Ensemble to the Hills Performing Arts Festival's massed choir rehearsal at Rouse Hill Public School. It was an extremely productive rehearsal and a great opportunity for our students to see how things run at a different school and to work with other students and teachers on a combined project. I am looking forward to conducting the choir at the HPAF at The Evan Theatre Penrith in 2 weeks time. Congratulations to all students from both vocal ensembles for representing our school so well at these events.

Mrs N. Medcalf (Stage 2 Vocal Ensemble)

Noni Medcalf

Thank you to Lauren Wright and Jason Atkins for all their time and effort in organising this wonderful event for our school community. Thank you also to our parent volunteers who assisted at the event. The event ran smoothly and a fantastic time was had by all. The DJ’s were excellent and there were some fabulous costumes! The kids at both sessions had a wonderful time dancing, singing, playing games and enjoying the snow! Thank you to the school for their support of the event. Please enjoy some of our photos from the event. 

You and your family are invited to join in celebrating our school’s 40^th Anniversary on Friday 21 August 2026 commencing 4:30pm. Our school staff have been working hard behind the scenes to organise the event and the P&C is looking forward to seeing our community join in the celebrations. 

Our Band along with alumni Band members will be performing a special piece composed by our very own Conductor, Heather Skinner. Bring the family, check out our classrooms and memorabilia, connect with friends, enjoy the food and fireworks. Do not miss out on being part of this memorable celebration, we look forward to seeing you all there! 

Our annual Father’s Day Stall and Jersey Day Breakfast are much loved events and will be held this year on Friday 4 September. 

Can you help? We are looking for a Stall Co-ordinator and Breakfast Co-ordinator. What does this involve? 

Father’s Day Stall Coordinator

-              Items have already been pre-ordered. 

-              Pricing and setting up the stall for 2 days plus Friday morning, 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

Father’s Day BBQ

-              Ordering supplies for the Breakfast

-              Organising orders and volunteers 

-              Event set up and pack down

The P&C will support you and help organise volunteers. Please consider your availability, reach out to a friend or two and do it together! Please contact Paddy Jessing at president@sgpspc.org.au  as soon as possible if you can assist to coordinate either event. 

Thank you to all the parents and carers who joined us on Tuesday evening for our first P&C Meeting for Term 3. There is so much happening in the life of our school and the P&C provides our parents and carers with an opportunity to be informed and connect with other parents and staff too.

Did you know that the P&C coordinates the Canteen, Uniform Shop and Band Program as well as fundraise and organise community events for our school community? We need your help to continue to make a difference to our school community. 

If you would like to be involved or find out more about what the P&C does, please join us for our next P&C meeting on Tuesday 8 September at 7:30pm in the Library or online. Bring a friend and come along, we would love to see you!

·Father’s Day Breakfast and Jersey Day – Friday 4^th of September 

• Band Performance (Concert & Performance Band) at ASBOF: Sunday 16^th August. See emails for details. 
• SGPS 40^th Anniversary Friday 21 August from 4:30pm
• Father’s Day Breakfast and Jersey Day – Friday 4^th of September
• P&C Meeting @ 7:30pm Tuesday 8th September 2026 in the School Library/Online

Elizabeth Tye

SGPS P&C

etye@sgpspc.org.au

The Band Workshop held on Sunday, 2 August, was a great success. Thank you to all the parents who dropped off their children and supported this event. 

We also appreciate the Band Committee and volunteers for their help in ensuring everything ran smoothly. Our conductors found the workshop to be very beneficial for the band members’ learning.

During Public Education Week, all three bands performed on Open Day, Monday, 3 August, in the New Hall. Many parents attended to support their children and enjoy the day. 

Both our Conductors, Mrs. Skinner and Mr Goddard are doing an excellent job with Training, Concert and Performance Bands respectively. We appreciate their dedication and the support from parents that makes these performances possible. 

Two of our Band members, Danbi and Gabbi Huh participated in the city of Ryde Eisteddfod last weekend, where they received the following results:

• Danbi –1st Place, 12 Years & Under Any Woodwind on flute
• Gabbi –2nd Place, Novice Brass on French Horn
• Gabbi – Highly Commended, 14 Years & Under Brass on French Horn

Congratulations to them both for these fantastic results!

Looking ahead, we have the Australian School Bands and Orchestra Festival (ASBOF) scheduled for this Sunday, 16th August at Wenkart Theatre, Knox Grammar School. Our Concert and Performance Band will participate, with the event including adjudication and a trophy presentation—our most prestigious event of the year, we wish them luck.

On Friday, 21st August (Week 5), our Performance Band will perform at Samuel Gilbert’s 40th Anniversary. They will debut a new piece composed especially for this occasion by our talented Musical Director, Mrs. Skinner. The event will also feature past alumni and special guests, making it a memorable celebration.

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

Please confirm attendance or notify absences via Bandforte.  

For access issues, contact sgpsbandcoordinator@gmail.com.

Kind regards,
Band Co-ordinator Samuel Gilbert Public School Band

Book Week is coming up, week 6 this term will see the library host literary events and activities, culminating in our annual book character parade on Monday 31^st August! Don’t forget to keep up your reading for the Premier’s Reading Challenge, you have until the 18^th of September to enter your child’s books to earn their certificate of achievement.

So far in this year, 11 904 items have been borrowed. It is wonderful to see so many children borrowing books from the library, keep up the great efforts!

With so much happening during Book Week (Zone Athletics Carnival on Monday, Hills Performing Arts on Tuesday and Year 5 Camp Wednesday to Friday) it has been decided that our Book Character Parade will happen on Monday of the following week, so get your costumes ready for 31 August – I have a few I am still deciding between, but I am most looking forward to seeing what all the students, teachers and siblings wear (mums and dads are welcome to dress up too!)

I will be holding additional Morning Reading sessions throughout the week, showcasing many of the shortlisted and winning Books of the Year, so feel free to come along and listen to some truly fantastic pieces of Children’s literature; Monday 24 August, Tuesday 25 August, Thursday 27 August and Friday 28 August. I look forward to many eager readers and listeners coming along in the Tiered Learning Space at 8:20am to experience a Symphony of Stories!

The Thursday Morning Read is on every week, 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.

Keep an eye on the School App for notifications that there are books in need of covering. If you wish to volunteer 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. Free covering lesson provided upon request. 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. 

Wk6: Book Week Commences

Wk6: Monday Shortlisted 2026 Morning Read 8:20am Tiered Learning space.

Wk6: Tuesday Shortlisted 2026 Morning Read 8:20am Tiered Learning space.

Wk6: Thursday Shortlisted 2026 Morning Read 8:20am Tiered Learning space.

Wk6: Friday Shortlisted 2026 Morning Read 8:20am Tiered Learning space.

Wk7: Monday 31^st August – Book Character Parade

Book Club 

Wk4: Order #5 closed.

Wk6: Order Brochure #5 to be distributed.

Wk8: Order #5 closed.

Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC)

Ongoing until Friday 18 September, 2026.

Yours in reading,

Adam Hands
Librarian.