Good afternoon Artarmon community! I appreciate you joining us for this Week 7 Newsflash.

As always, there’s plenty happening within our school gates. Our teachers and students are settled and fully engaged in their classroom routines, maintaining high expectations for learning and seeing success everyday.

NAPLAN

Today our Year 3 and 5 students sat their NAPLAN writing test. Over the coming weeks, students in Year 3 and Year 5 will complete their National assessments in reading, writing, language conventions, and numeracy.

These tests are a part of our education system, providing insights into your child’s learning and development. Once the results are available, we will send them home to you, allowing you to see how your child has performed.

We encourage you to support your child during this time by ensuring they are well-rested and ready to do their best. Thank you for your support.

Good luck boys and girls, we know you will be GREAT!

TERM ONE - STUDENT INVOICES

A huge thank you to all the families who have finalised their Term One student invoices through the School Bytes Portal. 

Your timely payments are greatly appreciated and play a vital role in helping the school plan and deliver our programs and resources effectively.

Today, we will be sending reminders for any outstanding invoices. If you encounter any difficulties or require assistance, please feel free to reach out to me directly for confidential support.

For all financial information, please access your School Bytes Portal.

CLASS PARENTS

Class parents have now been confirmed, and it was delightful to meet some of them at our special morning tea. The primary responsibility of a class parent is to foster a sense of belonging within the school community and facilitate communication between the families and the teacher, as well as support the P&C.

Most class parents will establish a WhatsApp group for this purpose. These groups are open to everyone in the class, and instructions on how to join are being shared.

If you have not yet connected with your class parent in the coming weeks, please contact the school for assistance.

A heartfelt thank you to all the fantastic mums and dads who have stepped into this role for the year. It is an incredibly important position that helps our school remain connected in today's fast-paced world.

ZONE SWIMMING

I wanted to share with you all the outstanding achievement of Zoe Cheng. 

Recently Zoe travelled to Germany after being selected to compete in an international piano competition. Not only did she compete, but she was the youngest and only Australian to make the final. Below is an account written by Zoe about her experience and I have also included the you tube clips and time stamps if you have time to watch her outstanding performance.

I asked Zoe to write a report to share with the community to help understand this outstanding achievement and this is what she wrote:

Robert Schumann Competition

The Robert Schumann Competition was held in Düsseldorf, Germany, and featured three age categories. I participated in Group A, which was for children born after 17 February, 2011.

This was an international competition, meaning young pianists from all over the world came to compete. I was both excited and nervous, as it was a major event and a huge challenge just to qualify.

The competition had four rounds, starting with a video audition. About 50 pianists applied, and only 22 were selected for the first live round—I was thrilled to be one of them! For my first-round performance, I played J.S. Bach’s Partita No. 4, Cécile Chaminade’s Étude Scolastique, and Schumann’s Bunte Blätter No. 1. The piano was incredible, and I felt great on stage.

Advancing to the second round was beyond my expectations. Only 10 participants moved forward, and I performed Schumann’s Blumenstück, Bortkiewicz, and Schumann’s Fabel—all Romantic pieces, which allowed me to relax and enjoy playing. At the awards ceremony, everyone who reached the second round received a diploma. As they prepared to announce the finalists, my heart was racing. Only three pianists would advance to the third and final round, where we would perform with an orchestra.

To my amazement, I was among the final three! For my concerto performance, I played Mozart’s Concerto KV414, Allegro. It was a challenging experience, as I had to maintain eye contact and stay in sync with the orchestra. In the end, I was thrilled to be awarded third place. I was also proud to be the only Australian to reach the final round in the entire competition.

I want to express my gratitude to Artarmon Public School for its outstanding music programs, which have helped me develop as a pianist and given me the opportunity to compete on the world stage.

To watch Zoe's second round. She is at 32:25. https://www.youtube.com/live/JBWramXweWg?si=beWHZLGAunjjDdlD

To watch Zoe's final perormance: She is at 18:00.  https://www.youtube.com/live/nqNH7EG9JwE?si=s9nk5jutL5qBBPfD

As part of our Personal Development and Health unit this term, Kindergarten has been learning how to identify and manage our emotions, how to build confidence, get along with others and make new friends. Each Kindergarten class is lucky to have a Stage 3 buddy class who have been coming to visit us regularly and helping to further develop and model friendship skills.  

On 5 Monday 24th February, we had a weeklong focus on confidently introducing ourselves to new people, being a great classmate and how to negotiate when conflicts arise. Students brought in a small teddy bear or fuzzy friend to help practice these skills. The end of the week culminated in a Teddy Bears’ picnic where we made new friends in other classes and shared our learning with our Stage 3 buddies.  

 Thank you so much to Mr Combes, Mrs Singh, Stage 3 teachers and our buddies for sharing this fun activity with us.  

Ms Kerryn Agnew 

Kindergarten Classroom Teacher 

Stage 2 and 3 set off to North Turramurra last week to attend the Skellern Cup. This was an all girls soccer gala created by the Skellern sisters (two representative players in the area) to promote girls soccer for all skill types. Students attended from all up and down the coast to participate in the gala day. There were streamers, pom poms, signs and chants being sung throughout the day and team morale was high – it was a day to remember for students, parents, teachers & coaches. 

Mrs Goosen attended Stage 2 with 2 teams being entered into the competition. It was fantastic to see girls attending that had never even played soccer before – students experience what it was like to have a go, feel part of a team and represent the school. Sportsmanship was reported to be impeccable by Stage 2 – so well done girls! Bianca Sternfeld was awarded the All Star Award with a certificate and a book prize. Congratulations! 

STAGE 3 SKELLERN CUP! By INAYA & AVA 6JB 

 On Thursday the 6th of March 2025 (last week), our girls soccer team went out to the North Turramurra Recreation Area to participate in the Skellern Cup. It was sprinkling when we started playing, which everyone knows is the best weather to play soccer! 

Our first game was against Asquith, and we played a brilliant game, with 2 strikers, 3 midfielders, 3 defence and 1 goalie! We dribbled, tackled, ran and passed our way to victory, with the final score being 2-1. In our second game, we played against St Michaels, and beat them 1 nil. Our third game was matched up against Mount Colah, and we played amazingly, and we won 5-0. We played our fourth game against Hornsby Heights, and we won 6 nil! 

 At this point, we were second in the ranking within our group, with Castle Cove just ahead of us, leading with one goal. Luckily our next game was with Castle Cove. 

 In our fifth and final game, we are proud to say that we crushed Castle Cove, beating them 3 nil. After this game, we had successfully won all five of our soccer games, and we were anxiously waiting for the final results, from all of the groups. 

 In the final presentation, Audrey Grace won the All-Star award. Congratulations! 

 Finally, the results of the competition were announced, and Artarmon is honoured to say that we won Skellern Cup 2025!!! We took a picture with the mother of the Skellern Twins and special guest Maddie Caspers from Sydney FC. Our prize was… a trophy, AND a special tour of Sky Park, the place where Sydney FC play themselves! 

 Special thanks to: Mrs Tully our coach and our parent drivers: Inaya’s dad, Ava’s dad, Eshaal’s dad, Koena’s Dad and spectators and supporters, Unice’s parents, and Adi’s Mum. 

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we start to build in our weekly routines with our children, it’s important to ensure that our children feel safe and secure, both while walking to and from school and in public spaces. Open conversations about safety can empower our kids and help them develop trust and a sense of responsibility.

Why Safety Conversations Matter

Talking to your children about safety isn’t just about rules; it’s about building a foundation of trust. When children know they can discuss their feelings and concerns with you, they are more likely to approach you with questions or worries in the future. This open line of communication fosters responsibility and independence as they navigate their environments.

Strategies for Safe Walking

Here are some key strategies to discuss with your children:

1. Stick to Safe Routes: Encourage your child to use familiar paths and avoid shortcuts through isolated areas. Walk the route together a few times to help them feel more comfortable.

2. Stay Aware of Surroundings: Teach your child to be mindful of their surroundings and to avoid distractions, such as using their phone or listening to music with headphones while walking.

3. Buddy System: Encourage your child to walk with a friend or sibling whenever possible. There is safety in numbers, and it can make the journey more enjoyable.

4. Identify Trusted Adults: Help your child identify safe places and trusted adults they can approach if they feel uncomfortable or lost. This could include teachers, shopkeepers, or parents of friends.

5. Emergency Plan: Discuss what to do in case of an emergency. Make sure they know how to contact you or another trusted adult, and establish a meeting point if they ever feel unsafe.

Navigating Public Spaces

In addition to walking to school, children often find themselves in various public spaces. Here are some tips to discuss:

• Stranger Danger: Teach your child that not all strangers are dangerous, but they should always be cautious. Discuss the concept of "safe strangers" and the importance of seeking help from trusted adults.

• Stay Together: When in public places, remind your child to stay close to you or a trusted adult. Establish a system of checking in with each other, especially in crowded areas.

• Trust Their Instincts: Encourage your child to trust their gut feelings. If something feels off, they should seek help immediately.

Encouragement and Reassurance

As you discuss these strategies, reassure your child that they can always come to you with any concerns. It’s important for them to feel heard and supported. Let them know that being cautious doesn’t mean they should be fearful; rather, it’s about being smart and prepared.

Together, we can help our children develop the skills and confidence they need to navigate their world safely. Thank you for being proactive partners in this important conversation!

Absences are now recorded on School Bytes only and no longer on the SZ app.

This feature has been removed from the SZ app. 

Please click on the link for a step-by-step guide to log your children's absence.

Parent Guides

Please click the link below to access the minutes from last Wednesday's P&C meeting.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DjlweQDqxfzf3OKzNakE5Uvt5mA5ZQfN/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=103037794633574183448&rtpof=true&sd=true

Children will start wearing their winter uniform at the beginning of Term 2. If the weather remains warm, they may continue to wear their summer uniform until conditions change.

Order online here: Artarmon Public School - Online Uniform Shop