Term 1 Week 4

16 February 2026

As the Principal, I am continually impressed by the strength of our school community. Our Parents and Citizens’ Association (P&C) plays a vital role in enhancing the educational environment for all our students, and I would like to share some of their latest achievements and upcoming opportunities.

Join Us: First P&C Meeting for 2026

Our first P&C Association meeting of the year will be held tonight, Monday 16 February, at 7:00 pm at the Woonona Bulli RSL. I am greatly looking forward to reconnecting with our dedicated group of parent and carer volunteers.

As we strive for a representative and inclusive school community, new members are always very welcome. Joining the P&C is a meaningful way to contribute to school decision-making, support our educational goals, and stay informed about the initiatives benefiting our students.

Planning for 2026: Upcoming AGM

As we look ahead, we anticipate several vacancies on our Executive Team and Sub-Committees due to families graduating from our school or changing personal commitments.

Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held in Week 8. During this meeting, we will be seeking nominations for several vital roles, including:

• P&C President
• P&C Fundraising Coordinator

Additional positions may also become available. We encourage you to consider how you might share your skills to support our school's growth.

Investment in Our School Facilities

I would like to take this opportunity to extend a sincere thank you to our P&C for their tireless fundraising efforts. Their contributions directly impact our students' daily lives. Recently, we have seen two significant projects come to fruition:

• School Farm: Our new shade shelter was completed last week, providing a much-needed protected learning space for our outdoor programs.
• Audio-Visual Upgrades: Today, Sturmans Audiovisual completed speaker upgrades outside the school hall. This will ensure a significantly better experience for parents and carers during our larger assemblies and community events.

These resources simply would not be available to our school without such a devoted group of volunteers.

A big thank you to Candice, our Canteen Coordinator, for facilitating our first volunteer training session today. In the NSW public school system, the school canteen is a hub of the community.

Our canteen relies on the generosity of parent volunteers to operate. Not only does this allow our students to purchase healthy snacks and lunches during break times, but it also provides a fantastic opportunity for parents to connect with one another.

On Saturday 7 March, our school has the opportunity to host the Bunnings Sausage Sizzle at Bellambi. This is one of our most successful annual fundraisers.

Thank you in advance to the many volunteers who have already committed their time. If you are able to assist but have not yet signed up, please use the link below to join the roster: Bunnings BBQ Sign-up Link

Parents and carers are invited to attend information afternoons next week, at which you will hear about class procedures, units of work being taught, timetables, reward systems, discipline procedures and many other pieces of information about your child’s class. Times and dates differ as certain teachers have various commitments around which to work. Please note that child care is not provided during these sessions.

The schedule is as follows:

Monday 23 February
3:30 pm    5/6B - Mr Batley
4:00 pm    KB - Miss Beckingham

Tuesday 24 February
3:30 pm    2LC - Mrs Logue and Mrs Cleall
4:00 pm    2/3N - Mrs Nelson
4:30 pm    5/6R - Mrs Rafferty and Mrs Rejske

Wednesday 25 February
3:30 pm    3/4L - Mrs LaVanda
4:00 pm    2RJ - Mrs Rann and Ms Johnston
4:30 pm    4/5E  - Mr Elsley

Thursday 26 February
3:30 pm    3/4QC - Ms Quince and Mr Crane
4:00 pm    1JW - Mrs James and Mrs Wrice

Friday 27 February
3:30 pm    KH - Mrs Hoyn

As always, I am available at most times to discuss any aspect of your child’s education that may be of concern. Please take that opportunity to speak with me if you need to do so.

The ordering portal for our optional Indigenous sports shirt is now open. This shirt is an optional Friday ONLY sports shirt for those that wish to purchase. Please note that this shirt is not carried in stock by the uniform shop. Orders can only be placed once per year at the start of each school year. 

Orders must be placed by Friday 27 February (end of Week 5) with delivery expected towards the end of this term.

To purchase, please click the following link: Indigenous Sports Shirt Order

Our SRC and House Captain Induction Assembly will take place Friday 27 February (Week 5) at 2:00 pm. Parents and carers will receive an invitation in the near future.

Next month, students in Year 3 and Year 5 will participate in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). These assessments are a standard part of the Australian educational calendar and provide us with valuable data to track student progress and ensure our teaching programs effectively meet the needs of all learners.

The testing window for 2026 is scheduled from Wednesday 11 March to Monday 23 March.

Key Information for Families:

• Format: NAPLAN is conducted online, with the exception of the Year 3 Writing task, which remains a paper-based assessment.
• Adaptive Testing: The online platform uses "tailored testing," where questions become more or less difficult based on a student's responses. This provides a more precise measurement of their achievement level.
• Preparation: We encourage a "business as usual" approach. NAPLAN is not a test that requires intensive coaching. The best preparation is the high-quality learning occurring in our classrooms every day.
• Wellbeing: We aim to make the experience as stress-free as possible. You can support your child by ensuring they have a good night’s sleep, a healthy breakfast, and by reminding them to simply "do their best."

Note: In the coming weeks, our Learning and Support Team will contact families of individual students that we believe may require adjustments to participate. If you are not contacted and believe your child requires specific adjustments to participate, please contact their classroom teacher to discuss the available options and sign the necessary consent forms. Further down in this newsletter, you will find NAPLAN Information for parents and carers. 

We view NAPLAN as a "point in time" snapshot that complements our extensive internal school assessments. It helps us celebrate our successes and identify areas where we can further support our students to thrive.

NAPLAN 2026 Information for parents and carers

As we navigate the school year, we remain committed to supporting our students' digital wellbeing. In this week's newsletter, you will find two valuable guides provided by Safe on Social to assist your family in managing technology at home:

• Screentime Management Guide: A technical walkthrough on utilizing built-in tools like Apple Screen Time—including how to set app limits and downtime—as well as an overview of alternative tools such as Google Family Link and Qustodio.
• Setting Device Usage Boundaries: A tip sheet focused on developing healthy habits. Key recommendations include keeping devices out of bedrooms to protect sleep, setting consistent time limits (such as a maximum of 60–90 minutes per day), and modelling positive behaviour by being present during family time. 

We encourage you to review these attachments and perhaps use them to start a conversation with your child about creating a "technology contract" to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Screentime Management
Setting Device Usage Boundaries 

Year 4

Woonona High School will be holding an Open Night on Monday 16 March from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm.

Families are warmly invited to attend an introduction from Principal Caroline David in the school hall, followed by the opportunity to walk the school grounds, explore open classrooms, meet our teachers, and gain an insight into what your child’s high school journey will look like at Woonona High School.

An additional opportunity for Year 4 students will be available later in the year. Students and their parents are invited to join our Year 6 HPGE students on their graduation day in Term 4, on Wednesday 14 October from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm. Part of this will be a bespoke session for Year 4 students and parents to find out more about our HPGE program which starts formally in Term 1 of Year 6 2028, however, applications open and close in Term 1 2027.

We look forward to meeting you all on Monday 16 March.

Year 5

Year 5 students have been invited to attend a CoS Day at Woonona High School on Wednesday 25 February, from 9:00 am to 12:15 pm. Parents will receive an email via School Bytes with further information and a permission note to attend.

Woonona High School will also be holding an Open Night on Monday 16 March, from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm. Families are warmly invited to attend an introduction by Principal Ms Caroline David in the school hall, followed by the opportunity to walk the school grounds, explore open classrooms, meet our teachers, and gain an insight into what your child’s high school journey at Woonona High School may look like.

Year 6 2027 HPGE and Year 7 2028 Enrichment applications close on Friday 27 March 2026.

Paul Cuthbertson
Principal

If you are assisting in classes i.e. reading, please ensure that you have checked in at the office and completed the appropriate paperwork before going into the class.

Please do not go direct to classrooms if dropping drink bottles, jumpers etc. for your child. Please drop them at the office and we will pass on to your child.

If you would like to view a previously submitted permission note, please follow the instructions below. Please be aware that permission notes are removed from the system one month after the event date.

1. Log in to the School Bytes app.
2. Select the ‘Activities’ icon or menu.
3. You will see a list of activities and permission notes.
4. If you have provided consent, a green box labelled ‘Consent given’ will appear next to the activity.
5. Click on the name of the activity to view the permission note with your submitted responses.

• 16    P&C Meeting 7:00 pm at Woonona Bulli RSL
• 23    Meet the Teacher - 5/6B & KB
• 24    North Wollongong District Swimming Carnival
• 24    Meet the Teacher - 2LC, 2/3N & 5/6R
• 25    Woonona High School CoS Day
• 25    Meet the Teacher - 3/4L,  2RJ & 4/5E
• 26    Meet the Teacher - 3/4QC & 1JW
• 27    SRC & House Captain Induction Assembly (including presentation of Swimming Ribbons and Age Champion Trophies) at 2:00 pm
• 27    Meet the Teacher - KH
• 27    Last day for Indigenous Sport Shirt Orders

• 7      Russell Vale Farm Bunnings Sausage Sizzle 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
• 11    Woonona High School HPGE Program start date
• 16    Years 4 & 5 Woonona High School Open Night 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
• 17    South Coast Swimming Carnival

• 2    Last Day of Term 1

Jasper K, Imogen S, Ivy J, Lachie E

Isabella P, Lara F, Rosalie M, Mathew K, Isaac L, Daisy S, Will D, Verity L, Sebastian B, Jaxon L, Isla V, Ochre C, Reece D

Evie R, Amarli M, Ayla O, Florence F

Ky Andrews, Tyler M, Tully C

Disclaimer: Russell Vale Public School advertises in this column as a service to parents. Russell Vale Public School does not endorse, sponsor or accept responsibility for the management or organisation of the advertised events or services.