Dungog Public School Newsletter Term 3, Week 8 2025

Calendar of events

• Monday 8th & 22nd September - Fortnightly PBL Assembly
• Tuesday 9th & 16th September - Breakfast Club
• Tuesday 9th & 16th September - Learn & Grow Playgroup
• Wednesday 17th September - Meals on Wheels
• Thursday 18th September - Whole School Fortnightly Assembly
• Friday 26th September - Last Day of Term 3

Principals MESSAGE

Hello Families,

How good is it to have some sunshine and things finally drying out! We are finally able to get our students out onto the grassed areas and spread out a bit.

In a staffing update, Mrs Oldfield will take up the role of Relieving Assistant Principal after an Expression Of Interest process. This will be an off class position and she has already sunk her teeth into lots of wellbeing and learning support. I know she has already made contact with lots of our families to help put supports in place.

We have had lots of events on in the last fortnight in which our students continue to make us proud. Our Year 6 students had Try a High School day at Dungog High School in their first taste of high school life. There were some wide eyes in the morning and some much more relaxed students in the afternoon at pickup time. I was lucky enough to get to tag along and see our students represent our school so positively.

Our Boys PSSA Touch team travelled to Thornton PS for their next round of the knockout competition and went down fighting 7-4. Our boys dug deep after a slow start and again demonstrated our values in representing us. Thanks to Miss Maytom for all her organisation for the game and so much other sport this term.

We are starting to have a closer look at our attendance across the school and in particular our unexplained absences. We know there has been lots of sickness lately and it is really important for home and school to communicate the reasons a student is absent. With that in mind we ask families to reach out or respond to the absence text to help us keep our records up to date.

Looking forward to a great end to the term.

Mark Cridland - Relieving Principal

Principals Award

EARLY STAGE 1 & STAGE 1 NEWS

KP with Miss Petersen

KP have had a productive and engaging Term 3, demonstrating wonderful growth across all learning areas. In English, students have been developing their understanding of story writing by focusing on orientations and complications, learning how to make them more engaging for their readers. In Mathematics, they have explored grouping objects into specific amounts and investigated the features of two-dimensional shapes. In Geography, the class examined the significance of flags and reflected on what makes a place special. PDHPE lessons centred on safety, with students learning about sun protection, safe practices at the beach, the importance of seatbelts and helmets, and crossing roads with a trusted adult. In Music, students explored pitch and learned to distinguish between high and low sounds. KP should be proud of the progress they have made this term and the effort they have shown in their learning. As we enjoy the warmer spring weather, we kindly remind families to ensure hats are brought to school each day. Homework, including reading decodable texts, continues to play an important role in reinforcing classroom learning and is due each Friday, with activities designed so that students can complete them independently and with confidence. Well done KP on your fantastic achievements so far this term — Keep up the great work!

1L with miss dean

In the blink of an eye, the term is nearly over! We have been revising and mastering new phonemes and graphemes, as well as blending and decoding new words to sharpen our reading and writing skills. In Mathematics, we have learnt how to collect and record data and use hefting to sort the mass of objects. We can't wait to use our rawsome bear squares to calculate the area of shapes! 1L has loved exploring how natural materials can be changed, manipulated and combined in Science. Our little chemists had an absolute blast mixing different materials to create playdough! It was a messy but enjoyable experience. In Music, we've been exploring the exciting world of tempo, rhythm, and pitch through engaging aural activities that allow us to clap and sing the sounds we hear. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as 1L's teacher over the past few weeks, while Mrs Long has had a well-deserved holiday. Keep up the fantastic work, 1L! You should be super proud of everything you've accomplished!

1G with Miss gregory

I can't believe we're almost at the end of Term 3 already! 1G have been working hard learning a range of persuasive techniques to make their writing great. They have been trying to convince me why they should be the class helper for the day. In Mathematics, we have been learning how to interpret maps. We went on an incursion around the school and worked together to write instructions to get from the Office to our Classroom. In PDHPE, we have been learning all about safe choices. 1G set up the chairs into cars and practiced how to enter the car safely and put our seatbelts on. We have also been enjoying body percussion in Music and learning how to keep tempo, rhythm and beat. 1G have been working super hard this term and should be proud of themselves!

1N with MRs NAsh

Wow we are nearly at the end of Term 3 already! 1N have been super learners this term and have been engaged in all the learning we have been exploring! Our novel study is still making us laugh every time we read it, hearing all about the crazy things Tom Weekly gets up to. 1N have loved exploring our Earth and Space unit in Science, where we have recently been exploring the changes that occur in different seasons and have already noticed some changes that have been happening since we started Spring! In PDHPE we have been learning about road safety in the car, on bikes and as a pedestrian along with water safety. We have been super proud of ourselves winning the Attendance Cup for the 3rd time this term. Keep up the amazing work 1N!

release from face to face with Mrs Morgan

I’ve had another busy and exciting term teaching a wide variety of subjects across the school! In Barrangga, we start the week strongly with a busy day focusing on English, Maths and Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL). Each Tuesday, 1N's Maths lessons have focused on a variety of strands. Data has been collected, organised into tables, and then represented in graphs. Students have also been very engaged using pan balances to weigh and compare lots of different classroom objects! Wednesday mornings have seen 2M exploring changes of state, and how particles behave in each state. They have investigated viscosity, how it affects freezing times, and how heating and cooling can change materials. Connections have also been made to global warming and rising sea levels during these Science lessons. In KP, students have explored 2D shapes and their properties, as well as length and area in Maths. In Science, they have investigated the observable properties of different materials and how these properties make them useful for creating products. KP loved conducting an experiment to see which material would keep their gummy bear dry!

Every Thursday, 2V start their day with their English Daily Review and then a focus on Persuasive Writing. After lunch, students have enthusiastically participated in Music lessons and have learnt about instrument families, beat, rhythm, pitch, time signatures and they can read and write some musical notation. Biomes, computer research and writing a number of information reports have been the focus of 3C's Geography lessons. They have examined the impact of people on these environments and how spaces are managed, including traditional and modern farming practices. Dhurrumiri have been enjoying a variety of sports so far this term, including Boccia, Hockey, T-ball and Aboriginal games, followed by an afternoon of music to round off the week. It’s wonderful to see the curiosity, engagement, creativity, and persistence our students bring to their learning each day. It really is a special role being the RFF Teacher and being able to visit so many classes across the school. No two days are ever the same!

SUPPORT CLASSES NEWS

dhurrumiri with Mrs allison

This term has been full of exciting learning! In English, students have been building their knowledge of digraphs and putting their skills into action by writing stories with interesting complications. In Mathematics, they’ve been exploring the features of 2D shapes and learning how to measure area and length in fun, hands-on ways. Our PDHPE lessons have focused on safety such as sun and water safety, helping students think about how to keep themselves safe. In Geography, students had a great time using interactive online maps to discover more about where we live and to learn about the States and Territories of Australia. Don’t forget to ask us what state we live in!

barrangga with Miss Coleman

In Barrangga, we have been exploring the story Boy Overboard by Morris Gleitzman. We are learning about Afghanistan and the experiences of the main characters, Bibi and Jamal. As we read, we are making connections – linking the story to other texts we know, to the wider world, and to our own lives. To help us better understand what life is like for children in Afghanistan, we have also been researching landmines during Digital Literacy. Did you know they use rats to detect them? Well now you do! In Mathematics we have been conducting chance experiments and surveying other classes around the school so we can learn the best way to display data. This Friday we will be making crumpets, so make sure you ask how they taste and if there are any leftovers!

STAGE 2 & STAGE 3 NEWS

2M with Miss Maytom

Wow – Week 8 already! Time is flying, and what an exciting and rewarding term it has been so far. It’s been such a pleasure watching the incredible growth in 2M this year, and the past few weeks have been no exception! In English, our study of Matilda has been a classroom favourite. We've been making connections between the book and short film clips, and it’s been wonderful to see the students express their creativity through comparisons and thoughtful discussions. Roald Dahl continues to be a hit! In Mathematics, things got a little colourful (and tasty!) as we explored the concept of chance using Smarties. Students described outcomes using fractions and chance-related vocabulary – and let’s just say, this was a very popular activity! Geography has sparked lots of curiosity as we learn about our amazing country. Students have been exploring the States and Territories of Australia, identifying what’s nearby and discovering our capital city. It’s been great to see them so engaged and proudly sharing their growing understanding of our “lucky country.” I am so proud of 2M and the way they continue to develop as learners, thinkers, and kind classroom citizens. The next few weeks promise even more learning and fun! As we enjoy these beautiful spring days, please remember to bring a hat to school. The sunshine means lots of outdoor activities, but no hat means no play!

2V with Mrs middlebrook

G’day from 2V, where learning is an adventure! In Geography, we’ve been map detectives, exploring all the States and Territories of Australia and uncovering how our Aussie map has changed over time—who knew maps could tell such fascinating stories? Over in Science, our little scientists have been busy mixing, melting, and marvelling at the magical States of Matter—solid, liquid, and gas, oh my! English has been a whirlwind of words as we craft persuasive paragraphs and make all sorts of clever connections to the texts we dive into. Our Novel Study with Matilda continues to captivate us; the characters and storyline have us hooked like a great fairy tale. Despite the busy weeks, 2V has kept shining brightly, showing their personal best with heaps of enthusiasm and smiles. Keep up the fantastic work, 2V—your curiosity and cheerfulness make every day a joy!

3D with miss donnellY

3D have jumped into this term at full speed. We've been productive in our work on Persuasive Writing and we've been making connections with texts. We've been looking at how to connect texts to ourselves, to another text and to the world. We've explored various texts such as Flood, Cyclone and Drought by Jackie French and Green Lizards vs Red Rectangles by Steve Antony. We explored the effects that floods can have on a community and looked into some of the most recent floods in Australia. Thank you everyone who has been reading and turning in their homework. It's great to see students engaging with our new novel, Hating Alison Ashley.

3c with miss rodgers

It’s been a productive and exciting time in Term 3 for 3C. In English, we’ve been focusing on Persuasive Writing, learning how to strengthen our arguments using counter arguments and logical rebuttals. In Science, we’ve been investigating the properties of different materials, testing to see what makes them strong, flexible, or brittle, and making some interesting discoveries! In Music, 3C have been composing and performing their own 4-beat rhythms, building creativity and confidence through performance. During PDHPE, we’ve been exploring different scenarios to help us recognise when a situation is safe or unsafe, and learning how to make responsible choices in a variety of environments to keep ourselves and others safe.

3b with Miss Blissett

In English, 3B has been crafting Persuasive Texts on the benefits of learning outdoors, building strong arguments to convince our readers that the best classroom walls might just be the sky and the trees. We’ve been exploring how learning outside can spark creativity, build teamwork, and connect us more deeply to the world around us. In Mathematics, our focus has been on decimals and fractions comparing, ordering, and breaking them into their parts to see how these numbers fit together. Our PDHPE lessons have focused on keeping ourselves safe around medicines, drugs, and alcohol, learning how to make responsible choices to protect our health. In Geography, we’ve been writing information reports on a biome of our choice, researching the plants, animals, and unique features that make each one so fascinating.

Library/STEM with miss donnellY

What a fabulous Book Week we've had! Thank you everyone who engaged with our Book Fair, putting books into the hands of your students. I know they loved it. I can't wait to see where next year's Book Week takes us. The theme was recently announced by the CBCA and for 2026 we'll be diving into a Symphony of Stories. As for STEM Miss Coleman and Miss Donnelly have been having a lot of fun planting and transferring seedlings into the aeroponics towers, a system in which plants don't require soil to grow. We're attempting to grow Spinach, Capsicum, Chocolate Mint, and Strawberries. We're looking forward to seeing what will grow. Students this term also have the opportunity to participate in RYSTEM, a STEM based challenge. A group of 26 stage 3 students will be heading to the RSL in week 8 to participate in challenges set to test their engineering and creativity. We wish them the best of luck.