From the Principal’s desk
HIGH EXPECTATIONS AT RYLSTONE PUBLIC SCHOOL: SETTING STUDENTS UP FOR SUCCESS
At Rylstone Public School, we are proud to be a High Expectations school. This commitment shapes everything we do — ensuring our students strive for their best, both in the classroom and beyond. Being a High Expectations school means we believe every student is capable of achieving excellence. In the classroom, students are encouraged to approach their learning with dedication, resilience, and a positive attitude. Our teachers set challenging yet achievable goals, provide ongoing feedback, and support students in reaching their full academic potential. Outside the classroom, our high expectations extend to behaviour, involvement in school activities, and teamwork. We want students to demonstrate respect, responsibility, and kindness, representing themselves and our school community with pride. Whether it’s participating in sports, creative arts, or leadership opportunities, students are expected to give their best efforts. As part of this culture, sometimes students may be asked to resubmit work that does not meet our standards. This isn’t about punishment — it’s an opportunity. By reviewing, revising, and improving their work, students learn perseverance and develop important skills for lifelong learning. We also ask our parents and carers to support us in our work towards high expectations. Your encouragement at home and involvement in your child’s learning makes a real difference. Working together, we can help every child at Rylstone Public School achieve their best and develop confidence in their abilities. At Rylstone Public School, our high expectations are about encouraging every child to develop confidence, take ownership of their learning, and discover just how much they can achieve. We look forward to supporting all our students on this journey.
Why Attendance Matters
Research shows that when students attend school regularly, they achieve better outcomes. High expectations for attendance means aiming for at least a 95% attendance rate – that’s no more than 10 days absent per year. Every day your child is at school matters, contributing to their learning, friendships, and participation in school life. How You Can Support Your Child’s Attendance
- Ensure your child attends school every day unless they are genuinely unwell. Please provide a doctor’s certificate where possible.
- Communicate promptly with the school if your child is absent. Please be aware that even if you have contacted the school about a student absence, it still may be marked ‘unjustified’ if the reason is not valid such as ‘getting a haircut’.
- Work with teachers and school staff if attendance challenges arise, so we can provide the right support together.
At Rylstone Public School, we are committed to maintaining a culture of high expectations for attendance because when students are present and engaged, they are better able to reach their potential. As part of our commitment to high expectations for attendance, Rylstone Public School closely monitors student attendance in line with NSW Department of Education requirements. The department has set the expectation that students attend school at least 90% of the time. If your child’s attendance falls below this mandated percentage, either our staff will contact you, or you may receive a letter to discuss the reasons and offer support. These conversations are not just about numbers — they are about understanding individual circumstances and working together to ensure your child can access the best opportunities for learning and growth. We encourage parents and carers to stay in regular contact with the school if difficulties arise so we can help early. Our goal is to support every student and family to overcome barriers to attendance, keeping all children safe, engaged, and on track to success. For any questions or support regarding attendance, please contact the school office. Let’s work together to make every school day count!
STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS: PREPARING FOR PARENT-TEACHER INTERVIEWS
As Term 1 progresses, schools across NSW are gearing up for one of the most important events on the calendar: parent-teacher interviews. These sessions are a cornerstone of effective communication between families and our school community, building connections that support every student’s growth and wellbeing. Why Parent-Teacher Interviews Matter Parent-teacher interviews offer valuable opportunities for students, families, and teachers to discuss learning progress, celebrate achievements, and identify areas for development. They provide a space to work together to set practical goals and ensure that each student receives tailored support. Tips for Parents: Making the Most of the Interview To ensure everyone has an equitable time, all meetings will be limited to 10 Minutes, so to maximise the effectiveness of your meeting, consider: · Preparing Questions: Think about what you want to know regarding your child’s progress, classroom participation, and any challenges they may be facing. · Sharing Insights: Let teachers know about any changes at home or special interests your child has. These details help teachers personalise learning experiences. · Setting Goals Together: Discuss ways you and the school can work together to help your child achieve their potential. Looking Forward Parent-teacher interviews are more than a check-in — they are a chance to nurture strong, supportive partnerships that empower our students. We encourage all families to take part in their child’s educational journey and look forward to welcoming you to your upcoming meeting. For more information on booking your interview times or accessing additional resources, please contact the school office or visit your school’s website. Online bookings via Sentral close FRIDAY 20 March at 3:00pm
MAINTAINING RESPECTFUL BEHAVIOUR AT RYLSTONE PUBLIC SCHOOL: A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY
At Rylstone Public School, we are dedicated to creating a safe, positive, and respectful environment for all members of our school community. The School Community Charter guides our commitment to collaborative, respectful communication and sets clear expectations for behaviour within our school community. Unacceptable behaviour has no place in our schools. It undermines the wellbeing of students, staff, and families, and disrupts the supportive learning environment we strive to maintain. Examples of unacceptable behaviour include, but are not limited to:
- Aggressive or intimidating actions, such as violence, threatening gestures, or invading personal space.
- Aggressive or intimidating language, including the use of obscenities, sexist, racist, or derogatory comments, or speaking in a rude tone.
- Discrimination against members of the school community based on religion, disability, or other personal characteristics.
- Inappropriate or time-wasting communication that detracts from productive and respectful engagement.
The School Community Charter reminds us all — parents, carers, educators, and staff — that we share the responsibility to treat each other with respect and to communicate in a way that promotes trust, honesty, and mutual understanding. When we work collaboratively and respectfully, we support the best possible learning outcomes for our students. We encourage families to engage with the school in a positive and constructive manner, knowing that our staff are committed to listening and responding thoughtfully. If concerns arise, appropriate avenues of communication and the school’s complaints process are available to ensure issues are handled fairly and respectfully. Together, by upholding the principles of the School Community Charter, we help ensure that Rylstone Public School remains a welcoming and supportive place for all. Thank you for your ongoing cooperation and commitment to respectful behaviour in our school community.
PARENTS TAKING STUDENTS EARLY FOR WEEKLY EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Impact of Regular Early Departures on Student Learning and Progress Reporting We have noticed an increase in parents taking children out of school early to attend extra-curricular activities. As a result we thought it would be prudent to bring to your attention the potential impact that regularly leaving school early to attend extracurricular events can have on your child's academic progress. While we recognise and support participation in extracurricular activities as an important part of a well-rounded education, frequent early departures mean students may miss critical classroom learning time. This absence can affect their ability to fully grasp and complete the curriculum required to pass subjects. Additionally, students who regularly leave early may not complete enough of the required work or assessments for teachers to accurately evaluate their progress. As a result, these students might not be able to be reported on comprehensively in their Student Progress Reports. We encourage families to balance extracurricular commitments with consistent attendance and full participation in class so that students can achieve their best outcomes. Thank you for your understanding and support in helping your child succeed.
WELCOME
Welcome to Maria Perry who has been appointed as our new General Assistant. She will be taking over from Ian Slapp and has some VERY big shoes to fill!
END OF TERM
Unbelievably, we are fast approaching the end of term!! Next week is our last Friday assembly and will be a Reading and Gold Arpy awards assembly. Therefore, assembly will start at 2:45pm on Friday 27 March. School finishes on Thursday 2 April with our annual Hat Parade. Categories have been chosen by the SRC. This is a friendly reminder that our parade is not a religious activity, but rather a fun way to celebrate student’s creativity and the end of the term. It is not mandatory for children to participate. Students return to school for Term 2 on Wednesday 22 April and will need to wear their WINTER UNIFORM. Monday and Tuesday of that first week are pupil free days. In anticipation of the school holidays, I hope everyone has a restful and safe break and are look forward to Term 2! As always, any concerns or questions, please reach out on PH: 6379 1404 or jodee.burcher@det.nsw.edu.au Jodee
In the classrooms
Bananas
Kindy Bananas are settling in well, and all our students are making great progress in their learning. We have already learned 15 sounds and started reading our first books, which is something to be very proud of. We’ve also begun writing our first sentences through dictation, using capital letters, full stops, and finger spaces. We are getting better at segmenting and blending words as well as remembering our heart/tricky words. In literacy, we have been reading imaginative stories and discussing different characters and their feelings. The students enjoyed drawing Edward or Edwina the Emu, Thelma the Unicorn, and Alexander's Adventure.
We are learning about the elements of art, such as looking at shapes to help us draw, using size to fill the page, colouring inside the lines, choosing colours to match the character, and avoiding white gaps. You will be impressed with all our fabulous drawings.
In maths, we have been practising recognising and writing numbers from 1 to 10 and counting confidently up to 20. We are learning how to combine two small groups together to find the total, and we are discovering how to recognise patterns to figure out what comes next.
In science, we are finding out where our food comes from and learning that it doesn’t just come from the shop — food is made from animals or plants. We will continue to explore these ideas throughout the rest of the term. In sport, we have joined our Year 1/2 classes. We have enjoyed learning to skip, catch balls, how to sprint and play together with our friends. Through these activities, we are practising taking turns, following rules, and working as a team. Playing with the older students helps us build confidence and develop important social skills. Everyone is having lots of fun while getting active and building new friendships. There’s lots of learning happening in Kindy Bananas! Keep up the hard work Kindy Bananas! Mrs Rankin
On the Grapevine
This term, students in 2/3 Grapes have been engaged in a wide range of learning experiences across all key learning areas. In English, we have been reading First Scientists and exploring how Aboriginal Peoples used their knowledge of the land to invent tools that made gathering food more efficient. Students investigated traditional tools such as eel traps, fish traps, spears, and bush ovens, learning what they were made from, how they were constructed, and why they were important. They are now using this knowledge to write information reports, demonstrating both their understanding and their writing skills. In Mathematics, students have been developing their understanding of chance and fractions. We explored the concept of chance by using everyday language such as “likely,” “unlikely,” and “certain” to describe the probability of events. In our fractions unit, students learned about the roles of the numerator and denominator and practised finding fractions of collections. They also worked on dividing objects into equal parts to represent fractions. Additionally, we explored time by learning the months of the year and a fun strategy for remembering the number of days in each month using our knuckles.
Students in Year 3 also approached their NAPLAN assessments with a positive attitude, demonstrating resilience and persistence as they worked through the tasks. We are very proud of the effort they put in during this time. In Creative Arts, students had a fantastic time learning how to jive in dance. They enthusiastically practised their moves while listening to classic music from the 1950s, which added to the excitement and energy of the lessons. It has been wonderful to see their confidence grow as they performed and collaborated with their peers. We also had fun making our cow collage artworks.
In PDHPE, our focus has been on understanding empathy and recognising body language to help regulate emotions. Students participated in group activities where they acted out different scenarios, allowing them to practise responding thoughtfully and appropriately to various situations. These sessions were filled with laughter and creativity, as students embraced their roles and demonstrated excellent acting skills. A major highlight for 2/3 Grapes was performing at the Senior Citizens Luncheon at the Rylstone Club. Students represented our school with pride and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to sing for the community. It was a memorable experience for all involved.
In Sport, students have been building their skills in catching and sprinting through a variety of engaging games. These activities have helped improve their technique, coordination, and confidence while promoting teamwork and active participation. Overall, it has been a busy and rewarding period of learning, and we are incredibly proud of the enthusiasm and effort shown by all students in 2/3 Grapes. Mrs Grant
Mangoes
We’ve been very busy since the last newsletter, but the best news came just this week. The Mangoes have moved into a new classroom! And it is fabulous!
In our morning English sessions we have been learning about a range of vowel spellings and suffixes. We have been working in small groups and with partners to complete reading sessions. In our later-in-the-day English sessions, we have been discussing characters, settings and events in a variety of books, and writing about them too. We’ve been using what we have learnt in our own story writing and are working hard to publish our best story yet by the end of the term.
Our recent Maths lessons have seen us explore months of the year, the likelihood of outcomes in chance events, 2D shapes, multiplication by forming equal groups and dividing by sharing totals into groups. We’ve also been doing lots of wonderful things in our other Key Learning Areas. We have been thinking about elements of dance and music, investigating and recording the growth stages of plants in Science, discussing safety topics in our PDH lessons with Ms Burcher, and Mrs Fielder’s History lessons have been all about the concepts of the past, present and future. Mrs Mulvaney
Lychees
Mr Langdon
Pineapples
Mrs Newham
Sport
Zone Swimming We had a fantastic day at Zone Swimming! All the students gave their best and achieved some impressive personal bests. Thank you to Mrs Mac for coming along and timekeeping, and to all the parents who transported their children. Congratulations to Rebecca, Henry, and Edie, who will now compete at Western Swimming on Thursday 26 March. Mrs Rankin
Garden Club
It has been wonderful getting into the garden with the 12 students who join Mrs Lus and myself each week to help keep it thriving. Together, we’ve cleaned and weeded the garden, and thanks to Mrs Lus, we now have a worm farm up and running. The students were excited to hold the worms, set up their new home, and feed them food scraps. We’ve also planted sweet peas and carrots, and next week we look forward to planting peas, lettuce, and beans. Everyone was fascinated by how tiny carrot seeds are, and how such a small seed can grow into an everyday, edible vegetable. It’s a fantastic experience working with students who are so curious and eager to learn about how things grow and contribute to sustaining us and the world around us. Mrs Rankin
SRC
Book Club
Book Club brochures will come home once a term. The school participates in Issues 2, 4, 6 & 8. There is no obligation to purchase. The easiest way to put your order in is online via LOOP! Issue 2 orders have now closed and should arrive before the end of term.
Sentral
Sentral is the go to place for all school information, permission requests, school payments, absences, newsletters, Parent Teacher Interviews.
Please note that SMS messages sent via Sentral from our school will come from a random phone number but we will always start our message with RylstonePS or RPS. We have limited characters use so messages may be brief and to the point.
Sentral Parent Help pages: https://www.sentral.com.au/parents
Please keep up to date with your child's absence explanations, as unexplained absences, as well as total absences, will be mentioned on your child's report. Red on your child's attendance calendar indicates we do not have an explanation. Absences not explained within 7 days will become unjustified. Staff are not allowed to edit the roll after the 7 day period (except for school holidays where a response was received within the seven days). Your explanation can be noted but your child's attendance will remain UNJUSTIFIED.
Dates for your calendar
Don't forget you can find these dates on your Sentral Calendar too.
March
- 23rd - 26th - Parent Teacher Meetings
- 24th - Young Leaders Day Sydney (Yr 6)
- 26th - Western Swimming, Dubbo
- 27th - Year 7 EOI online applications CLOSE
- 31st - Life Ed Van
April
- 1st - Life Ed Van
- 2nd - Last day of Term 1
- 2nd - Easter Hat Parade
- 22nd - Students return for Term 2
- 25th - Anzac Day
- 27th - Anzac Day Public Holiday
- 29th - School Cross Country
Reminders
- Students arriving late or departing early MUST come to the office to sign in/out.
- ALL Parent helpers must sign in at the office for WH&S.
- Payments to school (not P&C) can be made online via Sentral Pay with a debit or credit card, or cash can be sent in an envelope to the school office. The school does not have an EFTPOS machine.
- Please check your child's attendance on the Sentral app and keep up to date with absence explanations. Explanations are required within 7 days of an absence. A text message will be sent if your child is absent and you haven't submitted an explanation.
- School Drive Subsidy and bus transport: Please keep your details current and notify the Dept. of Transport of any address changes at www.transportnsw.info/school-students
P&C News
Uniform Shop
The shop is open on Friday afternoons 3-3:30pm but don’t forget you can shop anytime 24/7 via our online shop and your order will be sent home with your child: https://rylstone-public-school-parents-and-citizens-association.square.site/
Rylstone PS Before and After School Care
Swap It
Community News
School Holiday Activities
Youth Week Activities - Ages 12-24