School Newsletter

Deputy Principal's News

Welcome to week 9, where has Term 1 gone? We have a few action packed weeks ahead of us before we break for Easter. We wish you all a safe and relaxing holiday and look forward to seeing you all back for Term 2, ready to learn.

Year 1 Number Screening Check Next term, all students in Year 1 will particpate in a number screening check. This short 10-15 minute assessment will be completed by all Year 1 students across the state. The data collected from these assessments will directly inform our teaching and allow us to effectively target early number sense skills, which inturn supports every child's ability to understand and work with numbers. Please reach out to your child's class teacher if you have any questions.

Phonics Professional Learning Last week Ms Paron and I participated in Targeted Phonics professional learning with a variety of schools in our area. We are excited to continue to refine our school practices and ensure we are providing the best teaching and learning opportunities for all students at Pottsville Beach Public School. Keep an eye out for our parent workshops which will happen next term.

Middle Leaders and Assistant Principal Curriculum and Instruction Conference This week Ms Paron, Mrs Frost and I are attending the Middle Leaders Conference. Yesterday we heard from Kristen Douglas, Headspace Leader and expert who spoke about the capabilities of Trauma Informed Leadership. Dr Nathaniel Swain from Luminary, provided an engaging session on Responsive Literacy: Teaching that meets the needs of all students. We have another incredible two days ahead of us and we can't wait to get back to school and begin sharing our new knowledge, skills and understandings with our entire school community.

High Potential Gifted Education (HPGE) opportunities Each term throughout the year, we will be providing a variety of quality High Potential Gifted Education (HPGE) learning experiences to facilitate high achievement and talent development. Optimal learning environments, where students feel supported and encouraged to achieve excellence in their learning, ensures that all students including high potential and gifted students are inspired to challenge themselves and achieve their best. Take a look at some of the Stage 2 opportunities that occured this week. Ms Shara Perry Rel. Deputy Principal

Years 3-6 News

What a busy and exciting term it has been across Years 3–6! Students have had the opportunity to participate in a wide range of activities, including the Year 6 camp, PSSA trials, school sporting teams, STEM activities, sporting clinics, Jarjums and much more. As we look ahead to Term 2, students are encouraged to keep their ears and eyes peeled for upcoming activities. It’s important they listen carefully to the daily What’s On messages to stay up to date with everything that’s happening. 3-6 Assembly  Thank you to 6Oehlmann for hosting the Week 9 Assembly, including the PBL Barrel Prize draw. Students have been working hard to earn STAR awards, which will be entered into the draw. Families and friends are warmly invited to join us on Friday 27 March at 10:15am in the Hall. Year 6 Camp  While Year 5 were heads down completing their NAPLAN assessments, Year 6 took the opportunity to peel off and attend Lake Ainsworth Sport & Recreation Centre at Lennox Head. Excitement was sky high on Wednesday morning, with student anticipation brimming with enthusiasm for the experiences ahead. The group enjoyed beautiful weather for the water activities on the lake, famous for its dark colour. Highlights included rock climbing, archery tag, damper making and canoeing, with sailing in junior catamarans proving a favourite as students skimmed across the water, powered by the wind. Evenings were filled with indoor games led by the camp staff, with plenty of energy burned in the basketball stadium after dinner. Despite heavy rain on Friday morning, students showed resilience and enthusiasm, heading back out onto the water and making the most of the experience. It was another fantastic camp, with students creating lasting memories and representing Pottsville Beach Public School with pride. Thank you to Mrs Briggs, Mr Cowin, Mrs Doyle and Mr Oehlmann for attending, and to Ms Povey and the Year 6 team for their organisation behind the scenes. Camp Goodenough 2026 Year 4 students are invited to a day camp excursion to Camp Goodenough which will take place next term on the 9th of June. They will explore a range of activities across the day to develop skills in teamwork and problem solving and to test their abilities in a safe and exciting way. This is sure to be a highlight in the Year 4 calendar for 2026. Parents will ned to grant permission and make payment through Schoolbytes. The cost s $113.20 per student and travel to the camp and back will be by bus.

Stage 2 HPGE and Special Interest Day Today Stage 2 students participated in a range of engaging learning experiences including: ukelele, dance, mathematics, robotics, visual art and sport. These workshops were designed to provide students with opportunities to identify and strengthen talent and creativity across a range of learning domains. Thank you to all the teachers for making this event possible!

  Visiting Ceramic Artist Stage 2 have been exploring traditional ceramic art and experimenting with a variety of ceramic techniques including creating pinch pots, coil pots and decorating these pots with engravings and embellishments. 4Richards invited Mrs Samara Bult, Sabah’s mother, into the classroom for her to discuss her own art, the processes she uses and to share with us a few of her amazing creations. It was such a wonderful insight into the life of a ceramic artist and for us to learn that Samara explores, creates and reflects on her at works just like we do in the classroom. She also specialises in hand-built pieces! We are so appreciative of her visit to our classroom. Cross Country We are looking forward to celebrating the achievements of all our cross country runners tomorrow. Thank you Mr Mercer for your organisation!

Ms Richards and Mrs Keyes Assistant Principals, S2 and S3