As the winter mornings become cooler, it is important for students to come to school prepared for cold mornings and variable temperatures. Getting enough sleep, eating a nutritious breakfast, and wearing warm school jackets help children feel comfortable and ready to learn. Please make sure all jackets and jumpers are clearly labelled with your child’s name. We encourage students to wear the correct school uniform as set by the school community.

As the term draws to a close, maintaining healthy routines during these final weeks helps students stay engaged until the final day of term and finish strong. Simple steps like regular handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when unwell can help keep our school community healthy. If your child is absent due to illness, please inform the school via the School App or writing an explanatory note upon their return to school.

Keep in mind it is normal for children to occasionally feel tired, worried, unmotivated, or want a day off, but these feelings are not reasons to miss school. We thank parents and carers for playing a key role in making regular school attendance a priority. If your family is experiencing difficulty with attendance, please contact the school so we can provide support together.

A delightful day was spent with our wonderful special visitors, the grandparents. This well attended event allowed our amazing students to show pride in their school through the classroom visits, P&C refreshments and the impressive performances from our student bands, choirs and dance groups. The school would appreciate any feedback about how we can further enhance the special day for our important guests.

We thank Mrs Buckley for successfully coordinating the memorable day. Thank you also to the parents available to assist with the P&C refreshments through donating plates of food and offering assistance during the day.

Many thanks to those parents who have already notified the school office about their child starting Kindergarten in 2027. If any current SGPS 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. Online enrolment forms are available via: 

https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/going-to-a-public-school/enrolment/primary-school-enrolment

The school is always looking at how we can be better communicators with our home and school partnership. We know communication is never one way, so parents and carers are encouraged to contact your child's teacher if you have anything that you need clarified. We ask that you do this via an email to book in a time so the teacher can set aside the space to be able to deeply listen to you and be prepared for a response rather than seeing them before or after school when they often have other commitments.

We will endeavour to respond to school emails within a reasonable time on weekdays. Our email address is samuelgilb-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au. Parents and carers can see all our posts on the School App, access the latest newsletters and become informed through the calendar for upcoming events.

Congratulations Oscar Morrison (Student Captain 2019) for signing his first professional contract with Western Sydney Wanderers (WCW) Football Club. His Year 6 Yearbook entry ambition has proved dreams through effort and perseverance is achievable. Oscar is the current captain of the WSW Academy. He was described in a press release last week “as a respected leader within the squad, recognised for his consistency, professionalism and influence on and off the pitch”.

Greg McLaren 
PRINCIPAL

The weather has finally allowed the grounds to dry out and it was great to get back to PSSA sport last Friday. 

The Girls Touch Knockout team played Pitt Town PS in a close game but unfortunately went down by one try, 3-2. 

The Girls Netball Knockout team finally managed to play their rescheduled 3^rd round match against Governor Phillip King PS and won 28 – 20. They will now play Milperra PS at Milperra on Wednesday 24 June. 

The Boys Softball Knockout team finally got their competition underway with a strong win against Metella Road Public School on Wednesday of this wee , winning 14-3. They will play Narraweena PS at Castle Glen on Monday 29 June. 

Congratulations to Harvey Cl., Harvey Cu., Celine H. and Aria F. who represented the Castle Hill Zone at the Sydney West Regional Cross Country Carnival on Tuesday. 

All runners achieved excellent results with Aria winning her age division. 

She will represent Sydney West at the State Carnival on Tuesday 21 July.  

Last week Stage 2 and Stage 3 held the finals of their class Spelling Bees. It was fabulous to see so many strong spellers up on stage giving it a go. 

The audience held their breath as 16 of our best Stage 2 spellers worked their way from words such as basket, storm and match in the early rounds to super tricky words such as memoir, autonomous and amphibious. By Round 10 Daniel Y., Jerry Z. and Zachary B. were battling it out with the words boisterous, capricious and catastrophe. 

A fabulous effort from all three boys with Jerry finally securing the win with the correct spelling of conservatorium and Zachary being the runner up.

Stage 3 were off to a challenging start with chafe, entail and lumbar in the first two rounds and by Round 9 Leonard Y., Shriya I. and Aria F. were battling it out with elliptical, enigmatic and epidermis. For three more rounds these champion spellers couldn’t be separated until Leonard was tricked with colloquialism. Round 13 had Aria spelling excruciating correctly to win the event with Shriya, our runner up, excruciatingly going out on the very difficult word – entourage.

Congratulations to all students who gave it a go and particular congratulations to our winners and runners up. 

Jerry and Aria will represent Samuel Gilbert in an online regional final of the Premier’s Spelling Bee during weeks 3 or 4 of next term. We wish them the very best of luck.

Our Year 4 students enjoyed coming together on Wednesday with students from a number of local schools to rehearse for the Term 3 Hills Performing Arts Festival. Mrs Medcalf will be conducting the choir and has selected a repertoire that we know everyone will enjoy. 

We are looking forward to our Athletics Carnival next Tuesday at Hills Centenary Park. Classes have been conducting field events at school with the hope of finalising these at the carnival on Tuesday. Please ensure you have completed permissions and payments on School Bytes. 

A reminder that the canteen will be closed on Tuesday. 

Cathie Barclay and Gilliane Appave
DEPUTY PRINCIPALS

A number talk is a purposefully planned, brief (10 to 15 minutes) daily practice where students mentally solve computation problems involving number and talk about their strategies. They allow for students to think out loud and explain their thinking.

At Samuel Gilbert PS, number talks are embedded into everyday practice allowing for students to talk to their peers about their mathematical reasoning whilst learning from others when sharing their thinking with the class. The process of number talks is guided by the teacher who assists in the process and helps students clarify their thinking.

What can you do at home to further support your child?

You can engage with your child in number talks at home to help further support your child’s understanding and development of number sense. When working with them at home, the following guiding questions may help in assisting you both in reaching mathematical goals.

Questions include:

• Can you share your thinking?
• Could you solve this problem in another way?
• Explain how you figured this out?
• I noticed you have used….,can you share your thinking?
• I am wondering how you worked this out?
• How can you prove your thinking?

Also, it is important to give your child wait time to think about their solution before they explain it. This allows for them to think carefully about the solution to ensure they are provided with opportunities to develop efficient numbers sense and mathematical reasoning in mental computation.

Amanda Keane
Relieving Assistant Principal, Curriculum and Instruction

Our students recently participated in Operation Art, a wonderful initiative run by The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in partnership with the NSW Department of Education. Operation Art encourages students to create uplifting and inspiring artworks that are displayed in hospitals to bring joy and comfort to young patients and their families.

All students from Kindergarten to Year 6 enthusiastically took part in creating beautiful and thoughtful artworks. The creativity, effort and pride shown by our students made the judging process incredibly difficult!

Each grade awarded a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place:

Our two overall winners for Samuel Gilbert Public School 2026 are:
 Aaradhan A- 1B and Zachary B- 4P

Congratulations to all of our talented students for their outstanding effort.

Operation Art 2.pdf

Mrs A Johnson & Mrs C Kim

This term, Kindergarten students have been busy learning about living things. We have been learning about what living things are and what they need to survive through observations and discussions. Students enjoyed planting and caring for their own seedlings as we planted cress seeds and observed the changes that occurred to their plants as they grew. Students were very excited to take their plants home and continue caring for them.

This term, Year 5 students have been investigating the journey of everyday products and the impact they have on our world. From the food on our plates to the fibres used to make clothing and other materials, students have enjoyed researching how these products begin as raw materials and undergo a range of processes before reaching consumers. A strong focus has been placed on sustainability, encouraging students to think about how resources can be managed responsibly to support both people and the environment into the future.

In Year 5 Drama, students have been exploring characterisation through their English unit on Macquarie Island. They have been developing their ability to step into the role of a character, considering how thoughts, feelings and experiences influence the way a character is portrayed. Students have also been experimenting with mime and purposeful body movement to communicate meaning without words. Through a range of practical activities and script writing, they have been building their confidence, creativity and collaboration skills.

"Look closely at nature. Every living thing has a story to tell!" This term, our young scientists in Stage 1 and Stage 2 have been investigating the fascinating world of living things. Through hands-on investigations, observations, and discussions, students have been discovering what living things need to survive, how they grow and change, and the unique features that help them thrive in their environments. We are excited to share some of their learning, discoveries, and achievements with you. 

1. Year 1 using magnifying glasses 
2. 40 studying and drawing Hibiscus flowers
3. Stage 1 scientific drawings of observed plants 

Growing and Observing Plants

1. Planting our dwarf pea seeds
2. Dwarf pea seedlings-3 weeks old
3. Observations

Grandparents day was very successful thanks to all the wonderful donations from families it was much appreciated. A big thank you to all our volunteers for giving up your time it made the day go much smoother.
Please check the roster and help us out in the last few weeks of term it makes the running of the canteen a lot easier.
We have a new product in the canteen called Meltdown. It is dried fruit and yoghurt and comes in four flavours. Strawberry, Blueberry, Passionfruit and Mango. It cost $3 and is available on Flexischools and over the counter.

A reminder that the Canteen will be closed on Tuesday due to the Athletics Carnival. 

Thanks Jenelle, Sue and Kiarn 

On Tuesday 9th June the Training Band had their second big performance at the school this year and played beautifully for all the Grandparents. The Concert Band continued with some wonderful pieces of music as well, Mrs Skinner has been working hard on these two groups and it is really starting to pay off. Finally, the Performance Band finished off the event Conducted by Mr Goddard who is doing a great job since taking on the role with the Performance Band. We hope all the Grandparents enjoyed the show. It was standing room only by the end.

At Rouse Hill Anglican College is on this Sunday 14th June the concert Band is arriving first at 1.15pm, then Performance Band arriving at 2.15pm, then the Training Band is last arriving at 3.30pm if anyone would like to come out and watch them perform you are more then welcome. They will perform shortly after arrival times. You can buy tickets online or at the venue here is the link Adult tickets are $10 each and can be used throughout all three weekends of the Festival. TryBooking tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/DKZRA

Cash or Card payments available at the door.

There is also a big Concert on this Saturday night 13th June, in which our very own Mrs Skinner will be performing in if anyone would like to go please see the flyer below for details. She would love to see you there.

Winter Concert on Wednesday 24th June all three Bands will be performing.

Kind regards,

Band Co-ordinator Samuel Gilbert Public School Band

A big thank you to all our parents and carers who donated morning tea and volunteered for Grandparents Day. Thank you also to our canteen staff for their organisation and catering support. Grandparent’s Day presents a wonderful opportunity for our grandparent’s to attend on site and celebrate our children’s education. Thank you to our school and volunteers for making this much-loved event possible. 

Following on from their recent Band Camp, all our band students will be representing Samuel Gilbert Public School this Sunday 14 June at the GWS Music Festival. The GWS Music festival presents a fabulous opportunity for our talented musicians to perform and receive independent feedback as well as hear from other school bands.

We also look forward to our Bands performing at their Winter Band Concert here at school on Wednesday 24 June 6-7pm in the new hall. All our school community are welcome to attend.

We wish our Band students all the very best for their upcoming performances.

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 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.

· Band GWS Music Festival: Sunday 14 June. Check your emails for further details.

· Band Winter Concert: Wednesday 24 June 6-7pm in the new hall.

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

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

· SGPS 40th Open Evening: 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 in this year, 10 717 items have been borrowed. It is wonderful to see so many children borrowing books from the library, keep up the great efforts! Having access to quality literature is so important for all children, please encourage your children to bring their library bag on their library day to borrow books.

Monday:          1L, 1E, 1B, 1O, KK, KJ

Tuesday:          3JK, 3S, KT, KB, 3R

Wednesday:    4O, 4H, 2ZT, 5W, 5G

Thursday:        5PE, KA, 2SB, 5C

Friday:             4P, 2N, 2M

Our annual Book Fair has ended and it has been successful beyond all expectations. Our community purchased over $14,400 worth of quality literature, this includes over $500 worth of books donated by the community to our school library – keep an eye out over the coming weeks for these donations to become available for borrowing. All sold out books that were ordered should arrive within the next fortnight. In the first week Readus Maximus declared the Fair open for all Monday morning to a huge crowd of parents and students, after which we were visited by a flock of sheep with an elusive green sheep, a cucumber who lost his cool, the lost library and hickory dickory dash. The second week had us visited by the Big Bad Wolf, I was cuddled by a snake and finished with the Couch Potato. I hope everyone enjoys all their new books, I am enjoying mine, don’t forget to call in to the library and tell me what you thought of the new books you have read.

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.

The Premier’s Reading Challenge has started, please register your children to participate in this wonderful program, successful completion of the challenge will earn a certificate for your child’s efforts and, if the challenge is completed consistently across a number of years, a medallion at the end of the challenge. 

2026 Key Dates:

Challenge opens: Monday 23 February 2026

Challenge closes to students: Friday 18 September 2026

Challenge closes to coordinators: Friday 25 September 2026

How to Log-on to the Premier’s Reading Challenge:

Log into the NSW Department of Education portal login page, students need to enter their username and password here.

If you do not know your username or password for the DET Portal, please speak to your child’s class teacher. 
 
 A link to the Premier’s Reading Challenge website can be found in the Student Portal under the Learning section.  Students are also able to add a link to the PRC in the My Link List section to make the PRC easier to find.   

Rules:

For all the rules and booklists for the Premier’s Reading Challenge, please visit the Premier’s Reading Challenge website.

Rules for the Premier’s Reading Challenge can be found here: https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/rules.html 

Booklists can be found here: https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/booklist/home.html but make sure you read from the right level of books.

If you have any questions, please, come and speak to me before or after school in the library.

End of Borrowing Semester 1

Wk8: Last round of borrowing

Wk9: All books returned

Wk10: Overdue notices distributed to classes

Book Club

Wk8: Friday - Issue #4 Order forms distributed (delayed due to Book Fair)

Wk9: Friday – Issue #4 Orders close

Bookfair

Wk7: Orders finalised and placed

Wk8/9: Orders to arrive – Mr Hands will distribute ASAP

Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC)

Ongoing until Friday 18 September, 2026.

Yours in reading,

Adam Hands, 

Librarian.