Term 2, Week 1 - Friday 2 May, 2025

Calendar

From the Principal

This week:

• ANZAC Day
• Our school development day
• Some improvements around school
• School photos
• Road safety reminders
• Mother's Day

ANZAC Day

Our school leaders presented a fantastic commemoration ANZAC assembly before the school holidays as well as representing us at the MacMasters Beach SLSC event. Thank you to Mrs Bissett for supporting them to represent us. Our school captain, India, had her photo taken with Dr Gordon Reid, Member for Robertson and Adam Crouch Member for Terrigal.

I want to acknowledge again, the creator of the beautiful hand-made poppy flowers that we use each year at the ceremony at MacMasters Beach SLSC and our own assembly event. Mrs Noelene Conacher, legendary former teacher at Kincumber and incredible artist, made these for us and each time we use them we think of Noelene and her contribution.

Our Term 2 School Development Day

On Monday 28 April, public schools across NSW participated in professional learning with a dedicated focus on high potential and gifted education

Our school staff spent dedicated time deeply understanding the four domains of potential: intellectual, physical, creative and social-emotional.

We specifically focused on how we can better identify potential across all domains and create more opportunities at school to develop talent.

We already have many opportunities here including, public speaking and debating, dance, sports and access to target classes.

This year, our students have also been invited to be involved in a sustainability project and many of our Eco Warriors and student leaders are keen to be involved.

The staff were excited to be undertaking this learning and the whole day was positively received.

Some improvements around school

You may have noticed some work being undertaken during the school holidays. The asphalt area near the playground area was replaced by a brand new concrete play area which will be marked with new playground games soon (weather permitting). There’ll be more handball courts first and then some other games will be added.

We had guttering replaced and some repairs to timber on walkways – lots happened over the holidays!

The other good news I have is that we expect work to start on the refurbishment of the toilets just before the next school holidays and the procurement process has already started.

I wanted to thank those folk who gave us feedback about how beautiful the school was looking and gave lovely compliments about the fabulous work our general assistant, Mr Erik Brown, had undertaken to beautify the school. It is looking fabulous, isn’t it?

School photos

Please check out the portal messages from Mrs Purcell regarding school photos. We have our fingers crossed for a fine day, but who knows???

The staff photo is usually taken at around 8.15am, so we might be a little late opening gates and the office will be locked and not answering phones for a short while – please be patient.

Road safety reminders

The wet weather this week has tested the understanding of road rules, both the written and unwritten.

Road safety is a shared responsibility – everyone needs to make safe decisions on and around the road to prioritise safety.

Adhering to the road rules posted on the signs at all times is essential, especially in wet weather when visibility is reduced and traffic is heavy. Teachers, SLSOs and our crossing supervisor stand out in the rain for the thirty minutes before school so that students can safely enter the school grounds. It is NEVER okay for parents/carers to drive into the staff car park to drop children off or pick them up before school and after school.

We also recommend that parents talk to their children about the safest route to school and where to cross the road safely if walking or riding to school. If coming from the Avoca Drive end of Joalah Road, students should not cross to the opposite side of Kimbarra Close due to the risk of cars turning into the street.

Mother’s Day

The P&C Mother’s Day stall will be held next week on Thursday 8 May and I’m sure it will be very successful due to the hard work of your committee, led by Mrs Lyrene Swan and her band of very willing helpers.

Hope to see you buy a democracy sausage at the P&C Election Day Barbecue and we will see you next week at our great school.

Trish Peters

Principal

News from Around the School

School Photo Day - next Monday 5 May

Our KPS School Photo Day is on Monday.  Please follow the directions below to order.  Please note you are not required to bring anything on the day as orders are now done on-line. 

FOR SIBLING PHOTOS ONLY ...

• Sibling Photographs must be placed by midnight the day before photo day.
• Please ensure that your child brings the sibling photograph envelope to school on Monday to give to the photographer. Please do not return this to the office

Stewart House Blue for Stew Day - Friday 9 May, 2025

Assembly Roster for Early Stage 1 (Kindy) and Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2) for 2025

Please see below the roster for Early Stage 1 (Kindy) and Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2) for 2025.  

Please note that assemblies are now run fortnightly starting Week 2 (Friday 9 May).

If there are any changes to the below, families will be notified by the Sentral Parent Portal;

We look forward to seeing as many families as possible. 

Changes to the NSW Department of Education’s enrolment policy for 2025

Please see below a parent fact sheet on "Changes to the enrolment policy".

Lost Property

Lost property is now located in the school office.

Please make sure that your children’s school jackets and hats are labelled with their full name, not initials, in legible writing as this makes it easier to return the item of clothing to your child if found.

Unclaimed items will be donated to charity if not claimed at the end of each term.

P&C News

The P&C are looking for a Secretary!

Kincumber Public School P&C is seeking a new Secretary to join their amazing team.

The role includes preparing meeting agendas and minutes, handling correspondence, and keeping accurate records — perfect for someone organised who loves supporting our school community! 

If this sounds like you (or someone you know), email us at admin@kpspc.onmicrosoft.com with your name, contact details, and preferred time to chat.

KPS P&C Mother's Day Stall - Thursday 8 May, 2025

Entertainment Book - Sail into Big Savings!

Looking for the ultimate way to save and support Kincumber Public School P&C? With an Entertainment Membership, you’ll unlock a treasure trove of rewards while making a difference!  Join now:  www.entertainment.com.au and select Kincumber Public School P&C for your fundraiser!

Here’s what’s on deck when you purchase today:

• The chance to win a dream Club Med holiday to Bali
• A bonus Multi-City upgrade, with up to 50% off dining, shopping & travel across Australia, New Zealand & Bali
• 20% of your purchase goes directly to support our fundraiser

Hurry – this offer won’t last forever! Don’t let these savings drift away—seize the day and dive into incredible deals now!

Order your membership here: https://subscribe.entertainment.com.au/fundraiser/34h166

Donate Your Bottles and Cans to KPS!

Thanks to our hardworking P&C team, we're thrilled to announce that you can now support Kincumber Public School by donating your eligible bottles and cans directly from ANY Return and Earn machine using the Return and Earn app!  It's super easy and makes a huge difference for our students. Here's how:

• Download and Open the Return and Earn app
• Search for "KPS" under the "Charities" menu
• Press "Set as Payout" to make KPS your active donation method
• Scan the app and start returning your containers
• Press "TRANSFER" on the RVM screen when you're done
• 100% of your refunds will go to KPS P&C, helping us provide valuable resources ad events for our amazing students

Community News

Screen-Free Week

Screen-Free Week is an annual invitation for families to play, explore and rediscover the joys of life beyond ad-supported screens. It takes place during the first full week of May (5–7 May).

Get involved however you can – whether it’s by unplugging for one day, shutting off your phone at dinner time, spending more time outdoors, or taking the whole week to only use screens for work and school and enjoy some serious offline fun!

So go on, replace that hour spent on YouTube by playing outside. Trade those 30 minutes scrolling social media and do some drawing or painting. And instead of that movie on a rainy afternoon, spend some time reading, chatting, doing a jigsaw or playing board games. 

The Screen Free website has loads of great resources for families, educators and others, including its annual book list and 101 screen-free activity ideas. Happy unplugging!

Positive Partnerships Free Workshop for Parents and Carers

Nunyara Influenza Vaccination Clinic

Clinics are run on on Thursdays from 8am to 7pm.

Available to all Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community members and their families.

Call 4320 2698 to book in or walk in. Parking available on site.

Headspace - Free Mental Health Services to Young People 12-25

Want to Make Health Changes? Join Go4Fun Online

Families with primary school-aged children can access the free Go4Fun Online healthy lifestyle program anywhere, any time to support your family’s wellbeing.

Your personal health coach supports your goals and gives you advice relevant to you and your family situation.

The calls with your health coach are supported by online sessions and weekly activities you do together as a family. You also have access to a closed Facebook group to connect with other Go4Fun Online families on their journey.

Families learn practical skills together, such as:

• understanding food groups, serving sizes and food labels
• reducing screen time with fun, creative games
• helping to prepare food
• sharing activity ideas family members can do together

Visit the website for more information and to register.

Australian Navy Cadets - TS Hawkesbury @ Point Claire back for Term 2

TS Hawkesbury will be returning to regular parades for Term 2, starting 3 May, 2025. 

We are still accepting expressions of interest from any young people; The only requirement is they must be turning 13 in 2025.  The flyer below shows programs that are offered ....

TS Hawkesbury at Point Claire Parades
Time: Saturdays, 08:30am until 3.00pm
Where: 119 Kurrawa Ave, POINT CLARE NSW 2250 - Next to Marine Rescue

How to apply:
Please click https://www.navycadets.gov.au/find-a-unit

This will take you to 'find a unit', please select 2250 and click TS Hawkesbury.  The ANC has units located all across Australia, and each unit has their own different parade times.

Triple P Parenting Programs

Ask any parent how they juggle raising kids while taking time for themselves, and they'll probably tell you it's tough. Many parents have little time, resources or energy to focus on their own needs. This can lead to "parental burnout", a growing syndrome that stems from chronic parenting stress. Symptoms may include emotional disconnection with your children, exhaustion, shame, and feeling overwhelmed or fed up with your role as a parent.

Check out these parenting tips from Triple P to help you put your own needs back in the picture.

Reframe self-care
Self-care is not selfish – it's one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your loved ones. Taking care of yourself can help you feel more confident in your parenting skills and better equipped to handle stressful situations. This, in turn, benefits children and helps create positive family environments.

Start small
Self-care is often portrayed as a luxury or indulgence, but it can be more about the small, everyday things you can do that add up. Whether it's just taking some deep breaths, going for a walk, or catching up with a friend, even small amounts of time for your wellbeing can gradually add up to make a big difference. 

Be kind to yourself
We all make mistakes and face difficulties, and that's okay. Being kind to yourself is important, especially when things don't go as planned. Practising self-compassion can make a huge difference in how you feel every day. Plus, it sets a great example for children on how to show themselves love and kindness, too.

Get support  
Various factors can cause parental burnout, and it's a sign of strength to ask for help. Consider talking to a loved one or reaching out to helpful resources like Lifeline, Parentline, or your GP. To help make parenting less stressful and more rewarding, try a free online course from the Triple P Positive Parenting Program.

Visit triplep-parenting.net.au to learn more.

Busways - Important Information if Your Child Travels to School by Bus

Please remind your child to tap on and tap off with their Student Opal card when travelling to school by bus.  

Tapping on and tapping off is so important, even for school students with free travel.  It helps Transport for NSW know how many students are using the service and plan better bus services to meet demand.

To apply for a school opal card visit

https://transportnsw.info/school-travel-apply

Free Podiatry Consultations for Children

The University of Newcastle Podiatry Clinic at Wyong Hospital is offering children age 0-17 free lower limb assessments.

Children will be assessed by final year students, supervised by a podiatrist. Children and their families can receive advice on footwear, flat feet, and normal development, and receive treatment of foot warts, foot and leg pain, walking problems, and night-time ‘growing pains’.

When: Monday afternoons from 10 March to 26 May, 2025

To make a booking, or for more information call 4394 7280.

Free Group Meetups for Parents/Carers of Children with Disability, Delay and Autism

We’re gathering every fortnight at the Rotary Park in Terrigal.  Parents and carers can expect a casual drop-in session offering free coffee, engaging conversation, and meaningful connection in an informal, judgment-free space.

We understand that parents and carers can feel isolated and unconnected to community. At Belongside Families we are hoping to create self-sustaining community groups of people who are able to get together, chat and share their knowledge and resources with each other. We believe that sharing stories and support can make a big difference.

If you'd like to know a little bit more about who we are and what we do, below is a link to our website 
https://belongsidefamilies.org.au/

Australian Air League (NSW Group)

Central Coast Junior Chess Club

Private Chess Lessons

Carers Change Lives

Central Coast Family Support Services

Little Friends Scholarship Program - Applications are Now Open

Imagine you’re a child who has suddenly lost your home and all your possessions because you’ve had to flee domestic or family violence. Imagine how alone this child feels, the trauma they’ve experienced. Like every other child, they not only want to feel safe, secure and loved, they also want to fit in, not stand out from their peers. Maybe they've even had to change schools and make new friends.

Made to feel different because they no longer have the right uniform or school shoes, or their parent can’t afford to pay for a laptop, school excursions, or the long-awaited school camp. Maybe they’ve had to drop out of the music lessons or sporting competitions they once attended and loved to be part of.

This is where the Little Friends Scholarship Program comes in to support our youngest Australians who have already been through so much.

An initiative of Friends with Dignity, these valuable scholarships help fund education and extracurricular activities for five to 18-year-olds, putting children affected by domestic or family violence on an equal footing with their peers.

Scholarships are up to a maximum value of $500 per child.

If you have families within your school community or support community who are financially disadvantaged due to domestic or family violence, we encourage you to inform these families about the scholarship program and support them in submitting their application for funding to assist them with the cost of educational and extra-curricular expenses for their child/ren.

More information about the Little Friends Scholarship Program and access to the online application can be found below.

Are you Looking for Part-Time Work and Want to Make a Difference?

Become an Assisted Travel Support Officer. See below for further information...

Saver Plus Program

Could you use an extra $500 towards school costs in 2025?

The Saver Plus Program is about boosting financial skills, to develop (and keep) good savings habits.

You can put money towards education expenses including:

• Computers, laptops, and tablets
• Books, uniforms & shoes
• Sports & music, camps, excursions, and more…
  

If you save up to $50 a month for 10 months, Saver Plus will double it. $500 saved + $500 matched = $1000 (in 10 months).

Visit www.saverplus.org.au for more details. 1300 610 355

Busways - Changes to School Bus Service 2588 Commencing Monday 24 February, 2025

Please see the letter below advising of changes to the School Bus Service 2588 commencing Monday 24 February, 2025.  The below letter will be distributed to students on the affected Busways service. 

For further information please refer to our schools timetabled services at: 

https://www.busways.com.au/nsw/school-services/school-timetables 

and select the link adjacent to our schools’ name; “New timetable | 24 Feb 2025”. Alternatively, you can contact Busways Customer Service on 1300 69 2929 or infoline@busways.com.au.

Kind Regards,
Busways Group Head Office
5 Bridge St, Pymble, NSW, 2073

The Y Kincumber OSHC

Triple P Positive Parenting Program - Free program for separating and divorcing parents

Quick Reference Guides for Parents

What is the School Student Broadband Initiative?

One lesson that schools and the government learned from the "learning from home" periods in 2020 and 2021 was that not all students had access to effective and reliable internet services. As a result, many students were strongly disadvantaged, impacting the continuity of their education.

Did you know that the Australian Government in conjunction with the NBN, offer the School Student Broadband Initiative to address this gap? If your school has any students that live in an area that can access the NBN, but do not currently have an NBN service at home, please let them know about the initiative.

Eligible families will be provided with home internet service at no cost until 31 December 2025, through a participating internet provider over the National Broadband Network. The link above provides all the necessary information for eligible families to take advantage of this initiative.

Canteen

• Canteen lunch and recess orders can be processed through the online ordering system Sentral StudentPayPlus or paid in cash at school on the day
• Small items are available for purchase across the counter.  Please do not send your child with more than $5
• Cut-off time for both on-line and cash orders on the day is 8.00am. You can order up to a month in advance on-line
• Canteen orders will be delivered to classrooms
• Lunch - 10.50am (eat lunch in classroom) to 11.30am
• Recess - 1.00pm to 1.25pm

Canteen and Uniform Ordering Information

We are now using Sentral StudentPayPlus for canteen and uniform orders.

Please use the links below to help set up your account if you have not already done so.

Uniform Shop

All uniform items can ONLY be ordered online via Sentral StudentPayPlus. Uniform orders will be delivered to students in their classrooms the following day.

If you require an item that is showing as out-of-stock on the Sentral StudentPayPlus, please let the office know so that we can place the order.

Parents are now able to order a Kincumber Public School logo backpack via the Harlequin online store.  They will be despatched directly to your home address.  Please see a link below to their website and the flyer for more information.

The Music Bus Classes - Term 2 Enrolments Now Open!

The Music Bus has opened their term 2 enrolments and are inviting new students to apply.

Classes offered are: · Keyboard (Prep-y6) · Ukulele (Prep-y6) · Drums (y1-y6) · Guitar (Y2-y6)

Lessons are:

• 30 minute duration - once per week
• held in the hi tech music classroom on wheels on our site
• cost $22 per week ($24 drums) payable by the term on commencement

If you wish to take part please complete this expression of interest form.

https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/ee4627a5204c46158e1ab17e7c8069c6

Attendance Matters

Research highlights a clear correlation between student attendance and positive student outcomes. This research tells us that students with an attendance rate above 90% have greater academic and social success. Parents can view term attendance rates for their child/ren in the Sentral Attendance portal.

ALL student absences must be explained within 7 days, this is a Department of Education policy. Parents can lodge student absences through the Sentral Parent Portal at any time within the 7 days.

Online Enrolment System

The Online Enrolment System is designed to provide flexibility for parents to submit an Application to Enrol in a NSW Government School online at the time that best suits you. The application can be accessed on all browsers and mobile devices including iOS and Android.

The online application process is currently available to:

• Local and out of area enrolments
• Children who are Australian citizens, New Zealand citizens or permanent residents
• Children who live in NSW

We offer our support and encourage you to complete your application to enrol online. If however, you do not feel comfortable completing an application online, a paper copy will be available for collection from the front office or can be downloaded from the Department’s going to a public school site.

Parent Portal

Kincumber Public School uses the Sentral ‘Parent Portal’ for a variety of communication purposes.

We broadcast messages to the whole school, stages, individual classes and students. This might include reminders for upcoming events, excursions and may also include notes.

Parents are able to use 2-way messaging for important but not urgent communication regarding student wellbeing and learning. This should not be considered an instant messaging service as teachers DO NOT receive notifications and will only get them after logging into our system at a convenient time during the school day. We understand that many families have flexible working hours and will need to send or respond to portal information at a time convenient to them.  We also expect that families will understand that teachers will manage communications to you in the same way.

You can download the Sentral Parent Portal to your smart phone and receive notifications to help you stay up to date with what’s happening in school.

Rachel Andrew 
Assistant Principal – ES1 and School Improvement 

Before and After School Care (OOSH)

Here at Kincumber OSHC all of our fees can be subsidised by the new childcare subsidy, and we accept both permanent and casual bookings.

Please drop in, contact us on 0408 658 187 or via email at oshc.kincumber@ymcansw.org.au for more information.

Enrolments are done online. Please visit www.ymcansw.org.au/childrens-services and follow the prompts.

Road Safety – a Shared Responsibility 

When thinking about road safety, what is shared responsibility? 

It’s a way for us, individually, to ensure the safety of everyone in our community. 

Central Coast Council regularly reviews the environment around our many schools, improving areas such as the setup of parking restrictions or the upgrading of crossings. Supporting schools to educate their school community about road safety outside schools is also a role of our Council. 

Everyone in the school community - parents, grandparents, carers, teachers, students, bus drivers, crossing supervisors and motorists passing through the area – all have a responsibility for the road safety of our children. 

 Please consider the following to help keep the members of your school community safe 

• If you drop off or pick up children to or from school, please follow the Road Rules 
• There are designated areas that allow for parking but there are also areas that do not allow parking 
• Pedestrian and / or School Crossings provide the safest options for crossing the road 
• Speed limits are set at 40 km/hour to help keep people around school areas - especially children - safe. 

Road safety around schools is about shared responsibility. Addressing road safety issues are not always about needing more parking spaces. 

Children are great imitators so please set a good example and model safe behaviour. 

The Safe System Approach to Road Safety has been adopted in NSW. The following is taken from the NSW Towards Zero Road Safety Campaign: 

People are at the heart of the safe system approach to road safety. 

Road safety is a shared responsibility – everyone needs to make safe decisions on and around the road to prioritise safety. 

All road users owe it to themselves and to everyone else on the road to follow the road rules and drive to the conditions. Crashes can be prevented, and lives can be saved, by making safe choices. 

Source: NSW Centre for Road Safety  

Traffic Around School