The Turragraph Term 2 Week 10 - 4 July 2025

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to the final newsletter for this term and this semester. Once again, it seems like time is racing by and we are officially mid-way through the 2025 school year.

As we pause and take a deep breath, it's evident that this term has been a busy and successful one, and I want to congratulate our students, staff,  P&C and community helpers for everything we've achieved together. There is a wonderful sense that the TNPS school community has once again excelled in providing our students with exceptional educational opportunities across many different learning and social domains. Congratulations to all students, staff and parent/carer teams who have contributed to what our school has been able to achieve over the course of the term and semester. Everyone is deserving of restful holiday and chance to 'recharge the batteries', before Term 3 commences for students on Tuesday, 22 July.  Staff return on Monday 21 July for a professional learning and collaborative planning day.

As you would be aware student reports were emailed to families this week. I'd like to thank Wendy and Sanchia, from our administration team, for their hard work in that space.

Reports are an extremely important part of the teaching and learning cycle and a more formal opportunity for teachers to inform you on your child's progress against the curriculum being delivered and syllabus outcomes. 

I would like to acknowledge and congratulate all of our teachers, including our specialist and support teachers, for the tremendous effort and work they have contributed towards preparing these comprehensive documents. The reports reflect the work that the children have achieved in Terms 1 and 2, based on regular and ongoing assessment and indicate the outcomes achieved and goals set for Terms 3 and 4. Our teachers have particularly highlighted students' strengths and learning goals, providing a personalised comment in English and Mathematics, in addition to a specific general comment to highlight other social skills and work habits.

I enjoyed reading all students' reports and if you haven't already done so,  I encourage you to discuss the report with your child. Doing so provides another opportunity to commend personal achievements and identify 'where to next' in their respective learning journeys.

Please take some time to make sure your child understands that it is their effort as well as their achievement that is acknowledged and celebrated. This is a very important distinction to make as the effort box tells us so much about students' learning behaviours, perseverance, organisation, optimism, confidence, commitment, engagement and resilience - all of which are critical to success and the pursuit of lifelong learning.

Children, like all of us, need to remember they won't succeed all the time, but if they try their best, and learn to recognise this, they will feel a real and lasting sense of accomplishment of which they should be incredibly proud. It's important to help children see the contrast of before to now. For example, last year you were writing a single sentence, this year you are writing complete paragraphs. The more we validate and reinforce the smallest of improvements in behaviour, the faster we will create and sustain that change, and by acknowledging small improvements children should also gain confidence more quickly.

It is important to provide praise to children - great job, well done. But this is not the same as acknowledging and providing feedback that builds further learning and understanding. We want to help children see the incremental stages and progress of a skill or behaviour. Appropriate feedback will help achieve this, whereas praise alone, although important, will not achieve that end. In saying that, we all love to receive positive reinforcement!

We can all help children acknowledge and celebrate their effort and achievements in many ways. Some suggestions include asking questions to have them reflect on their progress, helping them monitor the good things they are doing, self-rewarding by doing a special activity and supporting them with positive self-talk as well as role modelling these behaviours. The ability to recognise and acknowledge their own effort and achievements, no matter how small, is an important life skill that children can take into adulthood. Equally important is acknowledging the efforts they are making socially, with their friendships and other relationships.

Should you have any queries about your child's report, please contact your child's classroom teacher via their email or the school office.

In keeping with our usual practice, in the first week of the new term you will receive a Term Newsletter for your child's stage which will outline the classroom activities, school events and other important information. It will also provide details of the key learning area experiences, excursions, incursions, school events and more.

Sydney North Public Schools Dance Festival 2025

Congratulations to our very talented dance students who performed recently in the 43rd annual Sydney North Public Schools' Dance Festival at Glen St Theatre.

It was a pleasure sharing their excitement as we waited backstage. Seeing them shine on stage was absolutely spectacular and a testament to the amount of hard work and fun in their weekly rehearsals leading up to the concert.

A heartfelt thank you to our supportive parents and carers for their encouragement, to our dance teacher Willa for her  guidance, and to Mrs Rennie and Miss Ellem for their unwavering support throughout this journey. Your contributions have provided our dancers with another memorable opportunity to showcase their talent!

NAIDOC Week 

An important message our School Captain, Beatrice  shared with students, staff and parents/carers at assembly this week:

NAIDOC Week is from July 6th to July 13th, which falls during our winter holidays.

NAIDOC Week is an important time to honour the traditions, achievements, and voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It's a time to recognise the contributions of First Nations communities to our shared history, culture, and identity.

NAIDOC Week is a positive way to recognise the history and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The NAIDOC theme for 2025 is "The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy." This theme celebrates 50 years of NAIDOC Week and highlights the achievements of the past while looking forward to the future, emphasising the strength of young leaders, the vision of communities, and the legacy of ancestors.

When we return to school next term, we will celebrate NAIDOC Week by participating in discussions and class-based activities that further promote understanding, respect, and unity in our school community.

During NAIDOC week, you may see the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags flying on different buildings, bridges and flagpoles, just as we do here at Turramurra North.

Do you remember what each flag represents?

There are three colours on the Aboriginal flag - black, red and yellow. The top half of the flag is black, representing the Aboriginal people of Australia. The bottom half is red and symbolises the red ochre colour of the earth and the Aboriginal peoples’ connection to the land. The yellow circle in the centre of the flag is for the Sun which is the giver of life.

The Torres Strait Islander flag has two stripes of green, one at the top and one at the bottom, which represent the land. In the middle is a stripe of blue which represents the sea. A traditional headdress, called a Dhari, is in the centre of the flag and is an important emblem for Torres Strait Islander peoples. Under the Dhari  is a white five-pointed star which is a symbol of peace.

All Australians are encouraged to extend their learning about First Nations peoples to better understand and appreciate all cultures.

Principal's Award Assembly...great job everyone!

Wonderful Writing in 1/2P  

This term, 1/2P has been expanding their writing skills.

We started by creating artworks of a special place that means something to us. Next, we wrote descriptive paragraphs about these places, sharing how they make us feel and where they are located. Finally, we typed out our paragraphs and displayed them alongside our artworks. 

Here are some of the pieces we’ve created!

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3/4F's Sundials

We've managed to work out the angle that the gnomon should be at for North Turramurra: 34 degrees. It is equal to the latitude of North Turramurra, which is roughly 33.7 degrees south.

Open Morning at TNPS - save the date

Public Education Week is an annual celebration of NSW public education and the achievements of our schools, students and education system. 

This year,  TNPS will join in to celebrate the theme - Ignite the Potential.

We are busy planning our TNPS Open Morning on Thursday, 14 August from 8:30 - 12 noon. You're welcome to join us - more information to come!

In the meantime, I’d like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday.

If you notice any suspicious behaviour in or around the school grounds, please call School Security on 1300 880 021.

Thank you for your support - see you in a couple of weeks!

Michelle Verhagen

Principal

Athletics Carnival - 2025

Term 3 Calendar

July

• 21 - School Development Day (staff only)
• 22 - First day of Term 3 for students
• 23 - SRE and SEE recommence for Term 3
  
• 21 - 25  Class-based NAIDOC activities
  
• 25 - 100 Days of Kindy
• 25 - HZSS 
• 28 - Year 3 and 4 Ranger Jamie Geography Excursion (More information to come at the start of Term 3.)
• 30 - Maths Olympiad 3
  

August

• 1 - Turragraph published
• 1 - HZSS
• 2 - P&C Trivia Night - see the flyer above or check your SZapp feed for details. (TNPS Hall 6:30-11pm)
• 4 - Assembly - Assembly hosted by 3RG (Hall 2:15pm, parents and carers welcome)
• 6 - School Tour 9:30am
• 7 - Evacuation Drill
• 8 - HZSS
• 14 - TNPS Open Morning 8:30 - 12 noon (More details to come.)
• 15 - Turragraph published
• 15 - HZSS
• 21 - P&C Meeting 7-8:30pm
• 22 - HZSS
• 22 - Final Choir Rehearsal and Concourse Concert
• 25 - Assembly hosted by 2F (Hall 2:15pm, parents and carers welcome)
• 29 - Turragraph Published

September

• 4 - Stall for Fathers and Special Others
• 10 - School Tour 9:30am
• 10 - Maths Olympiad 4
• 12 - Year 1 and 2 Ranger Jamie incursion (at TNPS - More information to come.)
• 12 - Turragraph published
• 12 - HZSS (Summer comp)
  
• 15 - Assembly hosted by 1/2P  (Hall 2:15pm, parents and carers welcome)
• 19 - HZSS
• 22 - Sydney North Area Athletics Carnival
• 25 - Principal's Award Assembly  for Term 3 - (Hall 10:15am, parents and carers welcome)
• 26 - Turragraph published
• 26 - Last day of school for Term 3 

October

• 14 - Term 4 commences for students

Band Camp 2025

Band Camp 2025 - A Musical Weekend to Remember!

What an unforgettable weekend it was for our talented Junior, Performance, and Extension Band students at Band Camp 2025! Held over two action-packed days, this annual event was a true celebration of music, teamwork, and creativity - and it’s safe to say no one wanted it to end!

Throughout the weekend, students participated in full-band rehearsals, sectionals with expert tutors, and fun-filled activities that brought them closer together as a team. One of the weekend highlights was seeing our school tennis court transformed into a full-blown laser tag arena - an absolute hit with everyone! We also formed a Bucket Drum Circle that filled the School Hall with rhythm and smiles, and we all enjoyed some yummy treats and well-earned downtime between rehearsals.

The weekend culminated in a fantastic Sunday concert, where all three bands performed for a delighted audience of families and friends. The musical growth and confidence shown by every student was remarkable, and the energy in the room was something truly special.

A huge thank you to our inspiring conductors and tutors, our wonderful parent volunteers who kept us on track, and of course, the amazing students who gave it their all.

Band Camp 2025 was a huge success - and we can’t wait to do it all again next year!

Mr Rob Di Marzo

Band Conductor

Kindergarten 2025

Library

Meet the Monitors

We are very lucky to have such a wonderful team of library monitors who are dedicated to helping with all the important jobs in the library. This week we meet two more of our library monitors.

Joanna in Year 4

Hi, my name is Joanna. I wanted to be a library monitor because… I love books! I read them all the time! My favourite job in library is scanning the returns. My least favourite job is stacking. My favourite books are ‘Sick Bay’ and ‘Where the World Ends’. My least favourite books are picture books…. yes! all picture books. My favourite colour is sage green. I also love playing tennis in my spare time.

Izzy in Year 4

Hi, my name is Izzy. My favourite thing about being a library monitor is scanning. I wanted to be a library monitor because…. I love helping! My least favourite job is putting away the books. I also like doing gymnastics outside of school. My favourite colour is purple.

The Premier's Reading Challenge

The 2025 Premier’s Reading Challenge (PRC) is well underway and has been extended to allow additional time to complete the challenge. The challenge now closes on Friday, 19^th September (Term 3, Week 9). There is still plenty of time to sign up if you haven’t already done so. New books have also been added to the challenge lists this term.

All students in Years K-2 will have PRC books read to them in class and library lessons. Mrs Burnes will complete the reading logs for K-2 students.

Students in Years 3-6 choose to complete the PRC. They will need to keep their own reading records online (with parent help if needed). To sign up to the PRC, students go to the PRC website and log on using their Department of Education username and password and add at least one book to the reading record. Their Department of Education username is the username used to logon to computers at school e.g.  john.smith3. The password is usually their class name e.g. 34f. Teachers have a list of usernames for their class. Once you have logged on, click on Student Reading Record, and follow the instructions given. Students in Years 3-6 have been shown how to complete their reading records during library lessons.

To complete the 2025 Challenge, Year 3-6 students need to read a total of 20 books (10 books on the PRC list and 10 free choice books). Our school library and the local library’s PRC books have PRC stickers on them to help identify the books easily. Year 2 students may choose to register in the 3-4 Challenge at home instead, if they can read simple chapter books. To change to the 3-4 Challenge, click on Student Reading Records, then My Information and update the challenge from K-2 to 3-4.

All information including logon instructions, rules and the booklist can be found on the Premier’s Reading Challenge website, so please visit at:

https://online.education.nsw.gov.au/prc/home.html

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Happy reading!

Mrs Burnes (Teacher-Librarian)

Team Kids

Partnership Survey

At TeamKids, we are committed to providing the highest standard of OSHC service. Your feedback plays a vital role in helping us ensure we consistently meet the needs of your school community.

To support this, we are providing a short termly survey to gather your thoughts and suggestions. The survey will open in your browser once you select a rating and will take just 30 seconds to complete.

Your feedback helps us stay accountable, deliver on our promises, and continually improve the quality of our service.

Thank you for being a valued part of the TeamKids community.

Please click the Survey Link.

Trivia Night 2025

Canteen Feedback

Dear TNPS Parents and Carers,

At the time of writing this, I am still recruiting for the permanent manager for Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Until that position is filled, we are utilising great managers from our other schools to service the canteen on these days. However, I am happy to introduce you to Carol, who is the new permanent manager at TNPS on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (pictured here). Carol is an amazing, experienced manager who has worked in canteens for decades and is fully trained in Local Lunches standards.

We have requested and received feedback from parents and carers at TNPS. Thanks so much for all your feedback; it allows us to improve. If you ever want to provide feedback, you can do so via support@locallunches.com.au, or if it's urgent, you can contact me at 0418 230 796.

I thought it best to respond to all the constructive feedback directly and publicly for transparency. We started operating the canteen at TNPS in Term 4, 2024, and received positive feedback on the service. The manager who was initially deployed at TNPS, and who had worked previously at our other canteens, was amazing but unfortunately resigned at the start of 2025 due to medical reasons. The two managers who were hired and trained for the canteen in 2025 have proven not to be the right fit for the business and have subsequently been removed. Unfortunately, I believe that many of the issues we have encountered at TNPS recently have stemmed from not having the right manager in place.

The constructive feedback we have received relates to products not being cooked properly or quality concerns, items served not looking like those on the website, as well as missing items in meals. I was disappointed by the feedback and genuinely apologise for the service you have received at the start of 2025; this is not the standard that Local Lunches operates at. I wish that I had received the feedback at the time these incidents happened, as this would have aided in the performance management process and allowed me to address the issues more promptly. I believe that these issues are a direct result of the poor management that was in place and won’t continue. I have implemented a management practical sign-off and audit process as a result of this feedback to complement the existing quizzes and practical training that was being done previously.

In addition to the above, I would like to respond to some other specific feedback given:

• Sausage rolls are 60c each at supermarkets; why are yours $3.50? First, we cannot sell most sausage rolls sold at major supermarkets as they do not meet the healthy canteens criteria. You get what you pay for when you buy cheap products. Secondly, the price you pay at the canteen is not just for the food costs; it includes the costs of operations, with the highest proportion being labour. We pay all our staff and managers the national award rates, and this must be included in the price charged to parents for the business to survive.

• Sushi is sometimes squished and there’s not a good variety on offer: We make all the sushi fresh every day and give parents the option to order whatever ingredients they want from the available options. The ingredients on offer are the most popular sushi ingredients. We do take suggestions for menu items every six months via our survey, so if you have a specific request for an added ingredient, please let us know. The sushi is served in sushi trays and paper bags; we make an effort to avoid using plastic in our packaging. We have not heard of the sushi being squished previously, so we suspect this may have been a handling issue at the canteen. We will monitor this now at TNPS. Please provide us feedback if you believe this issue is continuing.

• Wish you had toasted sandwiches and jelly on the menu: We have added toasted sandwiches to the menu this week based on this feedback. Jelly has always been on the counter menu on Tuesdays; it is classified as an occasional food under healthy school canteens criteria, so it is only offered one day per week.

• Would prefer the order cut-off being later, e.g., 9am instead of 8:30am: Unfortunately, this would be difficult to change due to the systems we use for all schools. However, we do have a late order function until 11am if you miss the order cut-off, with a limited menu. We also sell items like dumplings, raisin toast, garlic bread, etc., at the counter with cash/card or purchases with a Spriggy account (if the parent sets up an account to allow account purchases).

• Previous canteen supported local businesses like IGA and butcher; this one doesn’t: I think it is super important that we support local businesses. For this reason, 90% of our ingredients are sourced from NSW farmers and producers. We have a local fruit and vegetable supplier who delivers to us twice a week, a local bread supplier who delivers daily, pies made in Northern Rivers NSW, milk from NSW farmers, a local North Shore packaging supplier, and a local North Shore food distributor. We are not always going to choose the exact suppliers that every parent wants us to use, but rest assured we care greatly about sourcing local ingredients and supporting local growers and producers.

As a business, we are only as strong as our weakest link, and I’m genuinely sorry that parents have had constructive feedback this year. We care a lot about TNPS; this is my local community, and I promise that the entire Local Lunches team feels very strongly about righting the wrongs that happened at this school. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly if you want to raise any issues or discuss the feedback.

Kind regards,

Robby Andronikos

Local Lunches

Road Safety

To help keep our children safe, please remember these key road safety messages while on holidays and in new environments:

Spot the differences

Holiday areas may have roads, footpaths, parks, light rail, car parks, and bike tracks that look very different or are completely unfamiliar, especially if you're travelling overseas. It's crucial to point out these differences and potential dangers to your children.

Active supervision

The best way to ensure children's safety is through active supervision. Talk and teach children about road safety every time you're out and about, especially during school holidays.

Model safe and responsible road use

When walking, discuss the safe decisions you make, as your children may not have been in these situations before. Always remember to stop, look, listen, and think every time you cross the road. Hold your child's hand when near or crossing roads if they are 8 years old or younger. For children up to at least 10 years old, supervise them closely, as holiday excitement can distract them.

Helmet safety

By law, everyone must wear a helmet when riding a bike in a public place. It's also a smart choice to wear a helmet when using scooters or skateboards. Encourage your children to make helmet use a habit - it's a simple step that helps keep them safe.

Older and independent

As older children gain more independence, it’s important to talk with them about staying safe while out and about. Key topics to discuss include:

• their travel plans and how they’ll get to and from places safely
• the importance of responsible safe travel behaviours
• using Stop, Look, Listen, Think every time they cross the road
• keeping mobile phones and other distractions away when near or crossing the road.

SRC - Pyjama Day

Daily Lunch Service

The SRC had an amazing time organising our first school fundraiser of the year. Everyone looked super comfy, warm and cosy in their pyjamas and oodies - even the teachers joined in the fun!

We’re excited to announce that TNPS raised a fantastic $252.10 towards the installation of a water refill station. It will be placed in the area near the silver lunch seats just outside the hall.

We can’t wait for our next fundraiser in Term 3.

Thank you for your ongoing support of the SRC and our school. Together, we’re making a difference!

TNPS Student Representative Council 2025

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