Dungog Public School Newsletter Term 4, Week 9 2025

Calendar of events

• Monday 15th December - Fortnightly PBL Assembly
• Monday 15th December - Infants Activity Day
• Monday 15th December - Stage 2 Activity Day
• Tuesday 16th December - Breakfast Club
• Tuesday 16th December - Year 6 Day Out
• Wednesday 17th December - Meals on Wheels
• Friday 19th December - Last Day of Term 4
• Friday 19th December - Year 6 Clap Out

Principals MESSAGE

Hello Families,

It's been a big and busy end to the year.

Last week saw our long awaited and highly anticipated musical take place and we couldn't be more proud. I have seen so many of our kids working so hard to put on a great show for our families and I think you will agree it went beyond expectations. A huge shout out to all the staff involved in their class items but particularly for all the effort in the organisation and setup for such a huge event.

Last week also saw our 2025 Presentation Day take place. Again a huge amount of effort went in behind the scenes to organise the day to celebrate our students and their achievements. I also want to thank our community for their flexibility with the time change to avoid the heat and keep everyone as safe as possible.

Our activity days and Year 6 Farewell are all well within reach too (Stage 3 got in early to have it this week). A reminder to complete permission notes and payment to ensure your child doesn't miss out. Again, these events don't just happen and staff have been busily planning and organising in the background to give our kids some fun opportunities.

As we hit the end of the year I also just wanted to say thank you to the Dungog Public School community for making me feel welcome and being so supportive. I am loving getting to know our kids and families and am looking forward to the start of 2026.

Wishing all our community a safe and happy festive season.

Mark Cridland - Relieving Principal

Principals Award

EARLY STAGE 1 & STAGE 1 NEWS

KP with Miss Petersen

What an incredible year it has been in Kindergarten, filled with learning, laughter, and tremendous growth from every student. In English, we celebrated completing all of our phonics for the year, helping students become confident early readers and writers, and we have been exploring Persuasive Writing by learning how to share opinions and support them with reasons. In Mathematics, students have been strengthening their number skills by combining and separating numbers in different ways and learning to read the time on both analogue and digital clocks—a major accomplishment for our young learners. In Geography, we explored important places in our lives and discussed what makes them special, while in Science we became hands-on investigators, carrying out experiments, making predictions, and observing changes just like real scientists. CAPA has been a highlight of our week, with students expressing themselves through dance, exploring movement in space, and working enthusiastically on our musical performance. Watching each child grow socially, emotionally, and academically has been truly inspiring, and I could not be prouder of the effort, resilience, and joy they have brought to their learning this year. I wish all families a safe, happy, and relaxing holiday break, and sincerely thank you for your ongoing support throughout this wonderful year.

1L with Mrs Long

Wow what a wonderful crazy year it has been. This year 1L have gone from strength to strength, ending the year with a wonderful Musical item, sorry to all the parents that now have Hakuna Matata in their heads forever!! The students of 1L should be very proud of their achievements this year as we have covered so much in our English and Mathematics lessons during the year. It has been a pleasure to teach all of you throughout the year and look forward to see your smiling faces around the school in 2026. Wishing you all a happy and joyful Christmas and exciting safe holidays.

1G with Miss gregory

What a fast and memorable year it has been in 1G! Our students have shown incredible dedication and enthusiasm, making fantastic improvements across all areas of their learning. In Science, they engaged in hands-on experiments exploring the fascinating properties of sound, developing their curiosity and investigative skills. In Geography, they broadened their knowledge by learning a range of words from Dungog’s native language, gaining a deeper appreciation of language and community. Their creativity and commitment shone through in CAPA lessons, where they participated in Music, Drama, and Visual Arts activities with energy and confidence. Throughout the year, it has been a joy to watch each student grow, persevere, and take pride in their achievements. I am so proud of all their efforts and accomplishments. I wish all our families a safe, relaxing, and fun-filled holiday, and we look forward to seeing the students return ready for another exciting year of learning!

1N with MRs NAsh

Wow! What a great year it has been in 1N! We have learnt so many new skills and can't wait for all of the end of year fun. Our musical performance was a great way to start the end of year celebrations! In Science, this term we have been very engaged in completing some experiments including balloon rockets. We have been showing off all our dance moves in CAPA, learning all about the elements of dance, which helped with our musical item. We have learnt the Aboriginal meanings for lots of places around the area, including Dungog in Geography and how we can plan trips using the most appropriate transport, including overseas thanks to Google Earth. Wishing all the students and families a wonderful holiday and look forward to seeing all the smiling faces again next year!

release from face to face with Miss Muddle & Mrs Morgan

In what feels like only the blink of an eye, the 2025 school year is almost over! We have been extremely fortunate to teach every class at some point throughout the year, with some groups becoming familiar favourites. It has been a privilege to teach, support, and encourage a love of learning in so many students. “Children may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” We hope students leave this year feeling proud of their achievements, knowing they have been valued and heard, and stride into 2026 with confidence. To our Year 6 students, we wish you all the very best as you begin your High School journey—may it be filled with new friendships, challenges, and opportunities to shine. Wishing all our students and families a happy and safe Christmas, full of laughter and special moments with loved ones.

SUPPORT CLASSES NEWS

dhurrumiri with Mrs allison

Wow—where has the year gone? We’ve had such a fantastic time together and really enjoyed performing in the musical, we created some truly amazing props along the way. We hope you enjoyed our performance as much as we loved putting it together! We’re excited to share that we will also be performing at the assembly this week, so don’t forget to come along and watch our final performance for the year. All props and costumes have been prepared in class, so nothing needs to be sent in from home. To our wonderful students, thank you for an incredible year. You should all be very proud of yourselves and everything you’ve achieved. To our families, we wish you a joyful Christmas and a safe, relaxing holiday break. We look forward to seeing everyone again in 2026!

barrangga with Miss Coleman

Can you believe it’s already Week 9? Time is flying in Barrangga, and with only a short time left, some of our students are getting ready to celebrate their final days before heading off to High School! Over the past few weeks, Barrangga have been busy learning about bushfires in Geography, exploring how they start, the impact they have, and how communities respond. We created some amazing props for the musical, and we had so much fun perfoming. In Mathematics, students have been learning new strategies for division, helping them approach problems with confidence. In Science, we’ve just begun exploring our universe, sparking curiosity and some big questions about space. We’re also wrapping up our cooking program for the term and starting some fun festive crafts. I know that I am looking forward to finishing the term with lots of fun, creativity, and celebration together!

STAGE 2 & STAGE 3 NEWS

2M with Miss Maytom

It’s hard to believe we’re already at our final newsletter for 2025! What an incredible year it has been. In Swimming, we’ve had loads of fun building confidence in the water and developing our skills. In English, we explored the humour in David Walliams’ novels and learned how to bring that same playfulness into our own writing. In Mathematics, we worked on algorithms with money—so 2M should now be experts at helping you organise that Christmas budget! These last couple of weeks are packed with excitement: the mini fete, and our end-of-year fun days. Not to mention our fantastic Musical performance. We are certainly finishing the year with a bang. 2M has been an absolute joy—full of energy, laughter, and enthusiasm. Along the way, we’ve seen new friendships form, important lessons learned, and plenty of hard work. Watching each student grow from the beginning of the year to now has been truly rewarding, and I am incredibly proud of every single one of them. Wishing all families a safe and happy holiday, and a magical Christmas filled with love.

2V with Mrs middlebrook

Welcome to Week 9 of Term 4 in 2V! It has been a busy few weeks filled with lots of exciting adventures. We've dived into our swimming lessons, prepared and performed enthusiastically for our musical (2V looked fantastic), and enjoyed some truly thrilling learning experiences. In English, our journey with author David Walliams has continued to captivate us—our novel studies have been packed with spy missions, bananas, gorillas, maps, gangsta grannies, and fantastic story writing! In Health, we explored personal traits and celebrated body positivity, while in Geography, we have delved into Australia’s amazing World Heritage sites, creating impressive information reports. And the excitement isn't over yet, with a Mini Fete & a fun Stage 2 outing still to come. Wishing all the lovely 2V students and their family a very Merry Christmas, safe and wonderful holiday.

3D with miss donnellY

Fantastic work 3D! You were amazing on stage during your assembly item. You made the school really believe that we don't talk about History! In your Musical performance you were just as amazing. You've worked hard to learn the Irish Dance this term and you should be proud of what you've done in front of the crowd. In other news we've been learning all about electrical circuits and how energy converts to make electricity work in common items such as lights, televisions, and even in cars. In English we're looking for clues on how to tell what the author is foreshadowing in stories. Since this is the last newsletter of the year I just wanted to say it's been an absolute pleasure being your teacher this year and I wish you all the best for the next one, whether that be at High School or entering Year 6. Remember all you've learnt about yourself and others.

3c with miss rodgers

3C have had an action-packed end to Term 4! We had so much fun performing our musical item. It was great to see the enthusiasm and confidence on stage. In English, we have been sharpening our inferencing skills and letting our imagination shine through creative writing, exploring emotions and bringing vivid settings to life. In Mathematics, 3C have enjoyed investigating angles, developing their understanding of geometric relationships with care and precision. In Geography, we have enjoyed learning about bushfire mitigation, particularly as we approach summer, developing an understanding of how communities, wildlife, and vegetation can be protected. 3C have enjoyed the Intensive Swimming sessions and swimming for sport, showing determination and skill in the water. We are looking forward to celebrating our Year 6 students as they prepare to leave for High School, seeing our Year 5 students step up into leadership roles for 2026, and enjoying all the fun end-of-term events as we finish the final weeks of Term 4

3b with Miss Blissett

It's hard to believe that the 2025 school year is coming to an end! We have been busy with our school musical performance last week and are getting excited to celebrate with our end of year days out. It has been wonderful to be able to watch all our Stage 3 students grow, learn, and achieve their best. From our busy year of learning to the laughs and successes along the way, this year has truly been one to remember. To all the families, thank you for your ongoing support and partnership in helping make this a rewarding and memorable year. Wishing you all a joyful and restful holiday season. May your Christmas be filled with love, laughter, and special moments with those you hold dear. I look forward to hearing about all your adventures in the new year!

Library/STEM with miss donnellY

These last few weeks have seen us get ready for several events. Once Halloween was over Miss Donnelly bought out the Thanksgiving books then the Christmas books in quick succession. It also saw the addition of Christmas cards to the stock pile of items in our drawing cupboard, allowing students to write letters and cards to other students, teachers and even members of their family. It's been a pleasure watching students express themselves to others. In the STEM side of things we've got some wonderful growing plants in front of the Library including Chives and Rainbow Spinach, we've even had a few Beans sprout, which was very exciting. Miss Donnelly has started planning STEM activities for the Library next year, hoping to have even more fun and creativity over 2026. Thanks for a wonderful year in the library!