10 December 2024

Principal's Report

Thank you!

A big three cheers to the wonderful Mr Daniel Attard for his tremendous work over the past five weeks as he did an outstanding job as relieving Principal. It is so fortunate for our school and myself that we have the wonderful Mr Attard ready, willing and fully able to lead our school in my absence. I can’t thank Mr Attard enough and say  how confident both myself and our Director Educational Leadership, Ms Jenni Riberio is in him.

A big thank you to Mrs Alexis Hiser-Smith who relieved as Assistant Principal Stage 2 during this period. Mrs Hiser-Smith did a tremendous job in organising our Stage 3 camp whilst also leading Stage 2 in partnership with Mr Hunter. Well done, Mrs Hiser-Smith!

Staffing 2024

As you are aware, staffing of schools across the state is improving but is still an issue for schools. This year we have had a number of staff changes some expected and some not expected that have impacted on our classes and students. We have been fortunate this year to have always been able to staff our classes with high quality teachers but just like you, we understand the issues that arise when changes occur. I would like to thank parents and carers for their understanding and our amazing students for continuing on with their learning when these changes have occurred. Unfortunately it always seems that one or two classes are more affected than others and I would like to assure you that this is always due to unexpected circumstances. We are planning for an excellent and settled 2025!

Staffing 2025

There are always changes coming into the end of the year and I will do my best to keep you informed of any changes in staffing for 2025. At this stage, I am aware that Mr Shannan Wood has been offered and he has accepted a second year as relieving Principal at Londonderry Public School. Mr Wood is doing an amazing job at Londonderry Public School and we wish him well for 2025. Mr David Sheaves has been offered a third year as relieving Assistant Principal at Oxley Park Public School which he has accepted. Mr Sheaves is also doing a fantastic job at Oxley Park Public School and the Principal is very excited for him to be able to continue in that role.

Great news for Cambridge Gardens Public School, is that after her three years at Leura Public School, Mrs Jacqui Thompson is very excited to be returning to Cambridge Gardens Public School. I know many of our parents, carers and students will be very excited to see Mrs Thompson return to our school!

Exciting but sad news is that the wonderful teacher of Class Callippus, Miss Tahleya Cook has been permanently appointed to Marsden Park Public School commencing in 2025. I would like to thank Miss Cook for her wonderful work and congratulate her on her appointment as she moves on to the next part of her teaching journey. We will also be saying goodbye to the amazing Miss Vin De Costa. What a lifesaver, Miss de Costa has been, coming in to replace Mr Tate on Class Tao when he went on parental leave and then was available to jump in when Miss Barbagallo headed off on earlier than expected leave. Miss de Costa shows an amazing commitment as well as ability to jump into these two very different class situations so easily and successfully. Miss De Costa is moving interstate and we wish her well in this exciting adventure. 

Student Reports

This Friday you will receive your child’s Semester 2 report for 2024. As a school we have looked to make our reports clearer and less wordy for parents and carers and we will be interested in your feedback in response to these changes. In the key learning areas, our teachers will be indicating your child’s areas of strength and the next step in their learning. I would like to thank our teachers for their work in assessing their students and in working to report clearly to you the progress, achievements and areas of development for your child. If you need to discuss your child’s report with your child’s teacher please book an appointment through the front office during Week 10.

Email Communication

A reminder to all parents and carers that all email communication to staff is through the school email account marked with “ATTENTION TO THE STAFF MEMBER”. This is part of protecting our staff with both their work/life balance and an intrusion into their personal time. It also protects our staff from online harassment and bullying. For parents it ensures that important messages are not missed when staff are absent and sick. Our staff have been reminded to not answer emails that go directly to their email mailbox and to block any parents and carers who disregard this process. Thank you for your co-operation with this.

Class Placements for 2025

It is that time of the year when we are looking at developing our class structures and groups for 2025. This is the time for parents and carers to let me know of any thoughts, ideas and preferences to help guide us with your child’s place. I know you understand that these requests cannot be guaranteed but it is essential that when we form classes we use all information and ideas available to us. I ask that you send an email to the school account titled, “CLASS PLACEMENT 2025 ATTENTION MR WYNN”. Please ensure that if we have spoken before or you have made these ideas known in meetings, previous years or to other staff, you put it in writing and get it to me. It is very important that any issues with other students or staff are in the forefront of my thoughts when we are planning.

Adam Wynn

Principal

Presentation Day Assembly

Year 6 Farewell 2024

Our Year 6 Farewell is next Tuesday 17th December at The Orchard Penrith from 6.00pm to 9.00pm!
We are looking forward to a fun night of dancing and celebrations!
This is also a reminder for parents/caregivers that you are invited to share a final dance with your child at the end the event, so if you are wanting to participate, please arrive at 8:50pm as the venue will be packed down from 9:00pm onwards.

William Tate

Relieving Assistant Principal - Stage 3

Year 6 Graduation Assembly

Chess Club 2024

This Semester, twenty-four students from Kindergarten to Year 6 were invited to participate in the 2024 Chess Club. This year’s Chess Club consisted of a competitive round robin competition, culminating in the knockout finals series between the top four students after all the rounds had been completed.

This year’s Chess Club grand finalists were Steve Cochoco of Class Tao and Byron Mansour of Class Dedekind, with Steve winning the final to remain undefeated throughout the entire Chess Club Competition. A huge congratulations to Steve who won his second chess trophy of the year after being crowned the undefeated District Champion in the Interschool Chess Challenge at the beginning of the year.

I would like to congratulate all of the chess club members for their enthusiasm and motivation to learn and improve their chess skills and look forward to next year’s Chess Club Competition.

James Kristof

Chess Club Coordinator

Well done Matilda!

As you may know, Matilda was selected to represent NSW at the PSSA National Cricket Tournament in Canberra earlier this month. Congratulations to Matilda and her team on their remarkable achievement! They had an exceptional tournament, staying undefeated and proudly claiming the title of national champions, along with the gold medal.

Daniel Attard

Assistant Principal - Wellbeing, Learning & Support, Attendance

Chess Tournament

The 2024 Cambridge Gardens Public School Chess Tournament was held on Tuesday Week 7 in the library. This year we had 66 participants from Years K-6 competing in a Swiss Tournament, which is similar to a round robin whereby no-one is eliminated, but the draw for each round is determined by a combination of overall ranking and whether or not you won, lost or drew in the previous round.

It was an absolutely fantastic day of chess, with all 66 students competing with a great sense of fun, joy and fairness throughout the tournament. The tournament lasted for 8 rounds, with the winner of the tournament only losing one match throughout the entire tournament. A huge congratulations to Cayden Rigelsford from Tao Class for winning this year’s tournament, after being a valuable member of the chess club and school’s competitive chess team for several years. A big congratulations too, to Ethan Robinson from Tao Class who finished second and to Shanmukh Govada from Class Bernoulli, who finished third.

A special thank you to our resident District Chess Champion, Steve Cochoco, who elected to challenge himself for this tournament by taking on the responsibility of being the tournament referee. Steve did a fantastic job and ensured that all participants understood the rules and decisions made during the tournament.

A final thank you to Riley Watson, Ruby Goddard and Kiara Kerr of Year 6 who spent the entire day helping with the organisation and running of tournament.

James Kristof

Chess Club Coordinator

Stage 3 Canberra Excursion -The Summary Continues!

Our fabulous education tour of the national capital, Canberra was a few weeks ago but we still can’t stop talking about it! Students had the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage and democracy.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civic and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government contributed funding of $45 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.

We are so grateful for the experience, the learning and life long memories made. Upon returning, students embarked on the mission of recounting their experiences. Thank you, Lachlan Adams-Bennett, Justin Agianaku and Camille Ding for the following recounts of some of your favourite Canberra experiences.

My favourite part was when we visited the Australian War Memorial. Our tour guide, Luke was so good at explaining and recounting events of World War I and World War II. He even managed to explain some of it with Fortnite terminology, which was quite cool. The recount that stuck out to me the most was when Luke retold the acts on 1 heroic soldier. This soldier single-handedly captured 20 enemy soldiers with a 13kg burning hot flapjack rifle and sent them to jail.

Lachlan Adams-Bennett

My favourite place we visited whilst in Canberra was Questacon- The National Science and Technology Centre. There was so much to see and do. I loved the 7metre Free Fall slide the most. We had to wear an orange jumpsuit, mine was far too big but the workers explained it was meant to be. Heaps of students had a go and even some teachers like Mr Burke and Miss Robertson. Mrs Hiser-Smith changed her mind once she got to the top of the slide. The Free Fall was kind of scary but I still went down and it was fantastic. I went super fast and so did my other friends. All the activities were interactive and made science fun. We even visited the gift shop, which had some really cool stuff. 

Camille Ding

My favourite part was visiting the Australian Institute of Sport. Although this was one of our last stops in Canberra, it was well worth the wait! When we arrived we were given a tour of all the facilities the athletes use at the institute. My favourite part of the tour was when we went to the volleyball section. We got to watch some elite players train. Then we got to try out all sorts of sporting equipment at Sportex. I had a go at almost everything. Out of everyone from Bus 1, I got the record for the longest pull up on the pull up bar.

Justin Agianaku

Thanks again to everyone who made this educational and memorial excursion possible and a special mention to all the students for their outstanding participation.

Alexis Hiser-Smith

Stage 3 Camp Organiser

Orangutan Adoption

Through the excellent fundraising efforts from our school’s Return and Earn program, led by Mrs Stoeckl and Mr Kristof, we have recently been able to adopt two new orangutans via The Orangutan Project. Students in Class Konig voted to adopt Asto and Asih, with our school’s funds going towards food, medicine and social rehabilitation for these orangutans over the next 12 months. A huge congratulations to everyone who has been putting their empty cans and bottles in the Return and Earn bins around the school.

James Kristof

Schools Spectacular Excursion

A wonderful group of 20 students attended the matinee viewing of the 2024 All For One Schools Spectacular on Friday 29^th November. We were all extremely entertained by all the creative and colourful performances. We thoroughly enjoyed watching Dante Rourke from Year 6 in the boys Hip Hop dance ensemble.

Congratulations to Dante who attended the practices and the performance days with students from various department schools all over NSW. We heard he made many new friends and enjoyed the experience.

Our stage 3 students displayed their best Cambridge Gardens manners and level of maturity throughout the day, especially on the train trip. It was a pleasure to take this fantastic group of students for the 2024 viewing of Schools Spectacular.

Rose Antonelli and William Tate

Excursion co-ordinators

Snow Cone P&C Fundraiser

A huge thank you to the P&C and the parent volunteers who organised the Snow Cone Fundraiser last Friday. With the heat and humidity that day, it was the perfect way to wrap up the week!

Daniel Attard

Assistant Principal 

Christmas Picnic

How amazing was the Christmas Picnic! From the lively singing by students and staff to the fun and challenging Minute to Win It activities that had everyone laughing, it was a night enjoyed by all. A highlight of the evening was the cutting of Urijah's hair, a truly heartfelt gesture that demonstrated his leadership and generosity, with the hair being donated to a great cause. It’s always a special time of year when we can come together as a community, sharing in the joy of the season and supporting one another. A huge thank you to the Penrith Valley Rotary Club for their generous donation of 600 sausages and for providing the BBQ. I would also like to extend my thanks to our dedicated teachers and Miss Vella for leading the event, many of whom gave up their time to ensure its success. We look forward to next year's Christmas Picnic and perhaps it's the parents turn to put on a performance in front of the students! 
Mr AttardAssistant Principal 

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Urijah's Kids with Cancer Foundation

A huge congratulations to Urijah and our incredible school community for raising an impressive $658.60 in support of the Kids with Cancer Foundation. As many of you may already know, Urijah showed immense thoughtfulness and generosity by choosing several staff members and students to cut his hair during the Christmas Picnic, which will be donated to benefit those in need. This act of kindness is a reflection of Urijah's outstanding leadership and selflessness. He didn’t just participate in a cause, he took the initiative to inspire others, demonstrating a deep commitment to helping others and a spirit of giving throughout our school. Urijah's actions truly exemplify the values of leadership and school spirit, putting the well-being of others above his own, and setting a remarkable example for us all.

Daniel Attard

Assistant Principal-Wellbeing 

Selective high school and opportunity class applications are open

Selective high school and opportunity class applications are open from 7 November 2024 to 21 February 2025

Selective high school Year 7 entry in 2026: Apply when your child is at the end of Year 5 or the beginning of Year 6.

Opportunity class Year 5 entry in 2026: Apply when your child is at the end of Year 3 or the beginning of Year 4.

Selective high schools and opportunity classes are 2 of the ways the NSW Department of Education supports high potential and gifted students.

What are their benefits?

• Students learn alongside, and form friendships with, other high potential and gifted classmates.
• Special teaching methods allow students to learn at a quicker pace and in more detail.
• Research shows that students benefit both academically and socially when learning with classmates who have similar abilities.

Selective high schools and opportunity classes are not zoned so you can apply to ones outside your local enrolment area.

Do you speak another language? Translated resources are available in 13 languages on our website: edu.nsw.link/shsoc_languages

Is a selective high school or opportunity class the right fit for my child?

A selective high school or opportunity class might be a great fit if your child:

• learns quickly
• asks complex questions
• is highly motivated
• has a good memory
• is intensely focused in their area of interest

Where are selective high schools (Year 7-12) located?

There are 4 types of selective high schools:

• fully selective high schools, where all students attending the school have high potential or are gifted
• partially selective high schools, where there is a mix of students who have high potential or are gifted and local area students
• 4 agricultural selective high schools, including 3 boarding schools
• Aurora College, which provides online selective classes for rural and remote students in their local host schools.

Search for a selective high school near you at Find a selective high school.

Where are opportunity classes (Year 5-6) located?

There are 2 types of opportunity classes:

• full-time opportunity classes in selected primary schools
• Aurora College, which provides online opportunity classes for rural and remote students in their local authorised host schools.

Search for an opportunity class near you at Find an opportunity class.

Students successfully placed attend the opportunity class full-time in Years 5 and 6. In most cases, students who have accepted a place in an opportunity class will leave their current school to attend the school with the opportunity class.

Discuss the opportunity with your child and look through the information together on the Selective high schools and opportunity classes website and in the student resource hub:

• Applying for a selective high school: Student resource hub
• Applying for an opportunity class: Student resource hub

Fair and equitable access

The Equity Placement Model helps make access fairer for more high potential students in our community.

We know that some students may be missing out because they experience educational disadvantage.

Under the model, up to 20% of places in each selective high school and opportunity class are held for:

• students from low socio-educational advantage backgrounds
• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students
• students from rural and remote locations
• students with disability.

These students still receive offers based on their performance in the placement test.

Learn more at Fair access.

The application process

Complete the online application.

Applications close on 21 February 2025.

Once your application has been submitted and processed, your child will need to sit a computer-based placement test. Learn more at Application process.

Ready to apply?

Apply online at shsoc.education.nsw.gov.au

Further information

Visit Selective high schools and opportunity classes.

Attendance Matters

P&C News

Canteen - Kids Pantry

Camp Australia

2024 Calendar

2025 Calendar

Uniforms – Back to Basics