IMPORTANT DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCEMENT

You may have recently read about changes introduced by the Department of Education regarding a new staffing agreement. Over the past week, we have received additional details on how these changes will impact schools.

Key Changes Affecting You:

• Additional Staff Development Days: Two additional Staff Development Days will take place at the beginning of 2025.
• Start Date for Students: All students from Kindergarten to Year 6, including Year 5 OC, will now begin on Thursday, February 6. Further communication with specific details about the schedule for this day will be sent out closer to the date.

Kindergarten Best Start:
Kindergarten Best Start Assessments will be conducted over the first five weeks of school. Individual appointments are no longer required for these assessments.

NSW PRIMARY PRINCIPAL'S STATE CONFERENCE

Last week, I attended the NSW Primary Principals' Conference, where principals from across the state gathered to discuss and reflect on the value of strong leadership and empowering our school communities to thrive. On Wednesday morning, I had the privilege and pride of seeing our exceptional Jazz Band perform for an audience of over 600 principals. Naturally, they were outstanding and left everyone amazed with their performance. We truly have something special here at Artarmon.

Congratulations to our Jazz Band and Mr Warmsley.

2024 SCHOOL INVOICES

Outstanding 2024 school invoices were emailed again this week and are available for viewing in your SchoolBytes Portal. These charges cover incursions and excursions linked to our teaching and learning programs, aimed at enhancing students' educational experiences. If you received an email about outstanding fees and are unsure why, please feel free to contact the office for clarification.

Thank you in advance for finalizing these invoices, as program continuity may be impacted without parent contributions. If you require financial assistance, please don’t hesitate to email the school at artarmon-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au, and I will contact you confidentially.

PUBLIC SPEAKING FINALS

As you'll read in the article below, last week we held our school-wide public speaking competition finals. This competition, which runs from Term 3 into Term 4, is organized and led by teachers to emphasize the importance of public speaking. Throughout the competition, each student is given opportunities and encouraged to focus on key elements of a strong speech, setting personal goals for improvement.

Watching the finals last week was truly inspiring, and all students should be incredibly proud of their achievements. They stepped out of their comfort zones to develop this essential skill.

MEET THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS

To support families in the transition to high school, I have arranged for our local high school principals, Mr Richard McKeough (Chatswood HS) and Ms Adrienne Scalese (Willoughby Girls HS), to speak with you about their schools and the opportunities in public education.

This is a fantastic chance to meet these principals, ask questions, and learn more about each school.

While this event is open to all families, it is especially relevant to those with students in Years 3-6 who are nearing the transition to high school.

PHONES AND SAFE USE WHEN OUTSIDE SCHOOL GROUNDS

As you know, our school, like all public schools, has a policy that restricts the use of individual phones or devices by students during the school day. We follow the "off and away" policy, which is shared with all parents at the beginning of each school year.

Last week, I spoke to Years 3-6 students during assembly about phone use before and after school hours. Both from my own observations and from reports I’ve received, it’s clear that many students are holding and looking at their phones when arriving or leaving school. This often includes crossing roads or walking along footpaths, which raises serious concerns about their safety.

If your child carries a phone in their bag to communicate with you when they arrive at or leave school, please discuss safe usage with them. Phones or devices that distract them while walking, crossing streets, or standing on a train platform increase the risk of harm or significant injury.

I ask that you please continue to have these important conversations with your children to help ensure they stay attentive and safe on their way to and from school.

REMINDER: Tonight there will be two special events in the school hall.

6PM - 7PM - High School Information Evening with the Principals from Chatswood High School and Willoughby Girls High School.

7PM - 8PM - P&C Annual General Meeting. Click here to view the agenda.

4DG is getting ready for summer and the SRC Sun Safety Awareness Day.

They have also been practising their cursive, writing some great poems and having fun working hard! 

2026 Opportunity Class Application Process

The below information outlines the changes to the application process for OC classes in 2026.

2026 Selective HS Application Process

The below information outlines the changes to the application process for Selective HS classes in 2026.

• 7 November 2024 to 21 February 2025 – parents and carers apply for selective high school or opportunity class entry in 2026.
• 2-4 May 2025 – students sit the selective high school or opportunity class placement test for entry in 2026.
• 19 May 2025 – make up test date (approved illness/misadventure requests)
• Term 3, 2025 – placement outcomes and offers released to parents and carers
• Term 1, 2026 – students who gain entry begin attending their opportunity class or selective high school

Important links to access:

Selective HS and Opportunity Class Home page

https://education.nsw.gov.au/schooling/parents-and-carers/choosing-a-school-setting/selective-high-schools 

Placement Test Information

https://education.nsw.gov.au/schooling/parents-and-carers/choosing-a-school-setting/selective-high-schools/placement-test

Resources in other languages

https://education.nsw.gov.au/schooling/parents-and-carers/choosing-a-school-setting/selective-high-schools/resources-in-other-languages

Live Life Well @ School is a collaborative initiative between NSW Ministry of Health and school sectors in NSW. 

They have designed a new support package to assist parents and carers as their child transitions from Year 6 to high school. Topics covered include; screen time, gaming and online safety, healthy relationships, vaping and much more.

Click here to access the resources.

It is vital that we know if your child/children will NOT be returning to Artarmon or will be returning late in 2025. 

Some families take extended holidays in January/February and we need to know your return date so that your enrolment can be counted. This information will enable the school to plan for staffing and classing needs. 

Please take 2 minutes to complete this form. Kindly note that this does not apply to current 2024 Year 6 students.

https://forms.office.com/r/TmG5ySUkpw

Primary Ethics in Artarmon Public School

Can you spare an hour each Wednesday afternoon in 2025? Consider volunteering as an ethics teacher. We are seeking more volunteers so that we can provide ethics classes for all the families who have requested it for their children.

In ethics lessons, students explore everyday issues suitable for their age. They learn to think and listen carefully, to make decisions backed by good reasons and evidence, to discuss and disagree without putdowns. As an ethics teacher, you’ll get a lot out of it too!

Our volunteers come from all walks of life. They can be parents, grandparents, uni students or local community members. You don’t need past teaching experience. Primary Ethics offers full, free training, lesson scripts and ongoing teaching support.  

If you are looking for an opportunity to make a valuable contribution to our school, please visit http://primaryethics.com.au/volunteer/ or contact Stephanie at stephaniebone@gmail.com for more information.