2025 Term 2 Week 10 Newsletter - 4 Jul 2025

Principal’s Report

What another outstanding term we’ve had at Northbridge in 2025! We continue to strive to provide high-quality learning experiences for all our students across every area of the curriculum.

Over the past 10 weeks, we have welcome several new families to NPS across a variety of year groups and as always, our students have embraced the opportunity for new friendships and welcomed them warmly. Our students have not only taken part in a variety of sports and competitions—they’ve also achieved some fantastic successes! You can read more about their latest accomplishments in the articles later in this newsletter, so be sure to keep reading!

In Term 2 alone, the following events have taken place:

School, Zone and Sydney North Athletics and Cross Country Carnivals

Commemoration of ANZAC Day with Mr Chin and Mr Johnston

School Musical (Shrek The Musical Jr.) rehearsals begin

PSSA Gala Days

Coding lessons for Years 1, 3 and 4

Debating team participating in challenges and competitions

Band Camp and Outdoor Performance

Touch Football Program

Concert Band performances at Willoughby Girls High School

Kaboom Percussion Performance

Healthy Harold (Life Education)

Multicultural Public Speaking Competition School and local finals

Premier’s Spelling Bee School Finals

Sydney North Dance Festival

Kindergarten 2026 Showcase and Tour

National Walk Safely to School Day

and finally, for the second year in a row, we have successfully auditioned to perform at the Schools Spectacular in November this year as part of the combined dance. This is such a wonderful event for our dancers to be able to participate in. Places in these performances are highly sought after so congratulations to Miss Bulgin and Miss Carter for providing this opportunity for NPS students again in 2025. Get your tickets now, as they always sell out quickly!

Reports to Parents

Reports were sent to parents Monday of this week. Included was an explainer of the main changes the Department of Education has made to reports. As always please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher if you have any questions regarding these.

Happy Vacation

There has been a lot of sickness amongst our community, staff and students during the latter weeks of this term. I hope the vacation gives you all time to rest and recuperate and have some time in the winter sun! Take care everyone and enjoy the break!

Christine Smith

Principal

Student of the Week

Student of the Week

Congratulations to the following students who were presented with their Student of the Week certificates at our recent K-6 assembly. Well done!

Johannes B – KC
Olavi B – 6L
Bodhi T-J 3/4S
Lucinda P – 6H

 

 

A dialogue with Mrs Howell

A dialogue with Mrs Howell

Name: Elle Howell    
 
Job title: 2M classroom teacher (Thursday/ Friday)
 
Define your  job in one word: joyful
 
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours? Teaching is so much fun! You never have the same day twice, you can be as silly as you like and you get  to see your students grow and learn. It is very rewarding and exciting to know you are helping others everyday!
 
When you were at school as a student who was your most inspirational/favourite teacher and why? My senior geography teacher. She was so passionate about geography. Once when she was teaching us about weather patterns, she got up on the desk and started swirling around in the direction the wind would blow, making hurricane sounds! It was hilarious!

How do you spend your time when you are not at NPS?
 I am a mum to 2 year old twins so I spend a lot of time at the park or playing. I love to dance, read and go to the beach.
 
Music and TV streaming habits: what do you subscribe to?  I love watching a good series to wind down at night and am not picky about the genre. My music tastes are quite mixed but I would have to say I do love Taylor and Beyonce (basic, I know!)
 
What was the most recent book you read? Kristen Hannah – The Women. Very confronting but beautifully written.
 
What is your mantra? Always choose kindness.
What Heroes and Villians like to eat!

What Heroes and Villians like to eat!

ATTENTION ALL HEROES & VILLAINS!

Tickets are now on sale for the major fundraising event on 16 August 2025!!!

We are super excited to announce that Mary‘s will be our caterer for the evening. Serving up their famous delicious Mary’s burgers with vegetarian, gluten-free and healthy options also available.

Buy your tickets now and automatically go into the early bird lucky door prize draw!

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1408848

 

 

Play Tennis at NPS in the Holidays

Play Tennis at NPS in the Holidays

Did you know you can book our tennis courts after school, on the weekend and in the holidays?

Tennis is a wonderful game to play with family and friends! Book now to secure your preferred time.

https://play.tennis.com.au/Northbridgeps

 

Walk Safely to School Day

Walk Safely to School Day

WALK SAFELY TO SCHOOL DAY

This morning we finally were able to hold our long awaited ‘Walk Safely to School Day”.  Our rescheduled Walk Safely to School Day will be held on the last day of term, Friday 4th July. This annual event promotes the message that ‘Active kids are Healthy kids’ and it is encouraged that your child walks all or part of the way to school. Parents and siblings are welcome to walk with their child. There will be teachers leading two walking buses from two meeting points, Bonds Corner and the end of Nulgarra Street pathway on Sailors Bay Road (opposite Woolworths). The walking buses will depart from both of these venues at 8.40am to arrive in plenty of time before the bell. We look forward to seeing lots of students participate in this event.

Healthy Harold

Healthy Harold

All classes were fortunate to have a session with Healthy Harold over the last two weeks.  Alongside Life Ed, Healthy Harold has been visiting schools for over 45 years.  These visits are often remembered as “an amazing experience” and “one of the best parts of my school year” by students and a “fun, interactive way that really engages students” by teachers.
Here is some information from Year 1:
Year 1 enjoyed meeting Healthy Harold and learning safety rules. Our session focused on safe and unsafe environments and safe and unsafe situations and behaviours online, and places and trusted adults we can go to for help.
Our scenario was: Harold and his friends have gone camping, but when someone gets injured on a hiking expedition, the friends must work out how to seek help, and the people who can help them in an emergency.
Our lesson provided a fun interactive learning experience that empowered children to make safer choices. Students investigated how to seek out safe spaces and situations and how friends can support and care for each other.
Here is some information from Year 2:
Preparing for the school sports day, Healthy Harold and students learnt how to prepare physically and mentally for important events in their lives. Key messages included eating a balanced meal, drinking water to stay hydrated, and ways to deal with nerves during a challenging situation.
Students learnt:
  • The benefits of physical activity
  • To identify how resilience and overcoming challenges can boost wellbeing
  • Behaviours that promote health and wellbeing
  • Strategies to manage feeling and emotions.

Here is some information from Year 4:

Year 4 were brimming with broad smiles, wide eyes and excitement as they entered the Life Education van at Northbridge Public School this week. The enthusiasm continued when they greeted Healthy Harold, who they were all so happy to see again. Students learned about responsible and respectful behaviours when using devices, keeping personal information safe online, gaming safely, ways to seek help when needed and skills to help build positive relationships. What a wonderful way to end Term 2!

Last note of band in Term 2!

Last note of band in Term 2!

In Week 8 of this term, the Concert Band were invited to perform at Willoughby Girls High School as part of their Primary School Music Showcase. This concert featured a range of exciting ensembles from WGHS (and featured from former NPS girls!), and also performances from several other local primary schools. The Concert Band played very well and represented NPS wonderfully.

Due to bus issues, the bands were unable to perform at the end of Band Camp and show students and their grown ups what they had worked so hard on over the two days away from school. In Week 9 of this term, both band were finally able to play in what should have been the post-Band Camp Concert. This was the first ever performance of the Training Band’s, and they treated their audience to lots of band classics. Concert Band performed several of their pieces that were brand new for band camp and played them expertly. 

A band thanks to all of the parents who support instrument learning and the band program! We look forward to performing in Week 3 of Term 3 for Education Week and at the Australian School Band and Orchestra Festival on Sunday August 3rd.

Kaboom Percussion 2025

Kaboom Percussion 2025

On Thursday, June 26, NPS was visited by the percussion ensemble, Kaboom Percussion.

Grace and Quinn performed two shows for us, one for K-2 and one for 3-6.

They played so many different percussion instruments, it was hard to keep track of them. Some of our favourites were the BoomWhackers and “pig-ophone” – a xylophone like instrument made from tuned pig shaped dog toys!

Several students got the opportunity to go on stage and perform and all had a wonderful time – thanks Kaboom Percussion!

Welcome to the Wonderful World of 2B

Welcome to the Wonderful World of 2B

 

Students in 2B have been learning about figurative language such as similes, where you compare two unlikely things using the word ‘like’ or ‘as.’ Following, are the student’s delightful simile inspired writing pieces about their unique and special families.

 

My Family is as kind as the trees

By Scarlett

My mum is as beautiful as a red rose blooming, and she is as organised as a busy bee. She also is as gentle as a moon shining bright. My dad is as strong as a lion and is as protective as a bear. Maddie, my sister is as happy as a clown in the circus and is as curious as a tiger searching for food.

 

My Family is the Best!

By George

My mum is as beautiful as a flower and is as busy as a bee. She is also as organised as a library. My dad is as strong as a lion and as athletic as a deer. He is also as curious as a cat. Arthur, my brother is as funny as a clown and is as responsible as the principal.

 

My family is kind as a glowing tea pot

By Euan

My mum is as kind as the cool wind blowing on a hot day and as cozy as a warm blanket. My dad is as busy as a bird keeping his babies warm and as strong as marching ants. Kieran, my brother is as funny as a chimpanzee and is as playful as a platypus.

 

 

My Family is Brilliant

By Matilda

My mum is as busy as a bee getting pollen from a flower and is as helpful as a chef cooking me dinner. My dad is as athletic as an Olympian running a big race and as kind as a flight attendant. Teddy, my brother is as funny as a clown and as curious as a gorilla. Barney, my other brother is as clever as a calculator.

 

I Love my Family

By Brock

My mum is as kind a student of the week and is as athletic as an Olympian. My dad is as funny as me and my brother and is as smart as a genius, even though he didn’t listen at school! Dane, my brother is as sleepy as an owl when it wakes up and as fun as jumping on the trampoline. My cat Gia is as warm as a hot bubble bath and my dog Rone is as energetic as an every-ready battery.

 

My Family is Caring and Helpful

By Angus

My mum is as calm as a flower and is as gentle as the wind. My dad is as fun as a dog and is as intelligent as AI. My sister, Rose is as brave as an explorer and is as kind as a bird helping its friends. My dog is fluffy like a sheep and is aggressive like a lion.

 

My Family is Nice

By Chor Kiu

My mum is as helpful as google and is tall as a giraffe. My dad is as clever as a computer and is as kind as a feather. Chor Ting, my older sister is as small as a koala and is bouncy as a kangaroo.

 

My Family is Awesome

By Elouise

My mum is as creative as an artist and is as tall as a giraffe. My dad is as strong as a bear and is as protective as a lion. Ollie, my brother is as silly as a clown and as curious as a cat. Addie, my sister is as playful as our dog Lilly.

 

I Love My Family

By Kaitlyn

My mum is as pretty as a rose, opening on a sunny day and my dad is as busy as a lion hunting for food. Jason, my brother is as kind as my special friends and Kingsley, my older brother is as protective as a lioness taking care of her cubs.

My Family is the Best

By Ada

My mum is as busy as a bee and as gentle as an angel. My dad is as protective as a bear looking after his cubs and creative as a game developer. Duru, my sister is as smart as a genius and as athletic as an Olympian doing gymnastics and flipping.

 

My Family are all kind

By Sebastian

My mum is as beautiful as a butterfly, and she is tidy as a bookshelf in the library. My dad is as clever as google and he is a genius. Eleanor, my sister is a pretty as a ballerina and playful as a kitten. I am as strong as a gorilla.

 

My Family are the Best

By Beni

My mum is as beautiful as an artwork and is tough as a car. My dad is as strong as an astronaut and as happy as a king. Vitoria, my sisater is as loud as a popstar singing at a concert and she is as helpful as a servant.

 

My Family is the Best

By Juliet

My mum is as busy as a butterfly and as pretty as a rainbow in the sky, with roses. My dad is as strong as a superhero and as thoughtful as an elephant caring for his herd. Louis, my brother is as playful and cute as a bunny.

 

My Happy Family

By Stella

My mum is as gentle as a bright moon whispering to the shiny stars and my dad is as creative as an artist designing abstract rainbow art. Zara, my sister is as happy as a blue-tongue lizard lying in the hot sun and is as curious as dolphins playing with other animals. My family is as lucky as a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

 

I love my Family

By Miles

My mum is as beautiful as a rose and is as tall as a giraffe. She also is as arty as Nana. My dad is as strong as a lion and is as kind as a teacher. Finn, my brother is as noisy as a sheep and is kind as a bear.

 

My Family is Awesome

By Jude

My mum is as busy as a bee collecting sweet yellow honey for us and is as thoughtful as an ant collecting food. My dad is as protective as a big brown grizzly bear, safeguarding his cubs. Luca, my younger brother is as funny as a clown at the circus and Remy, my older brother is as athletic as an Olympian in Paris.

 

My Wonderful Family

By Yustina

My mum is as kind as a bird feeding her chicks. My dad is as big as a bear and is as busy as an ant. Julian, my brother is as clever as a calculator and Irene, my sister, is as playful as a hamster. Toto, our dog, is as cute as a penguin.

 

My friend is the best

By Dean

My mum is as busy as a utaraptor and as kind as a bird. My dad is as strong as a t-rex and as busy as an ant. Neil, my little brother is as silly as a clown and as happy as a Pokemon. Bodie, my lovebird is as protective as a bee, and I am as smart as Google.

 

Albert Namatjira inspired Art

We have also been leaning about the Albert Namatjira and his love for the Australian landscape. Here are some of the students’ artworks focussing on colour and composition.

Purple Mountain by Jack

The Special Ghost Gum

Premier’s Spelling Bee

Premier’s Spelling Bee

The Premier’s Spelling Bee finals were an electrifying event for our Stage 2 and Stage 3 students this year, with two representatives from each class stepping up to the challenge in front of a cheering crowd. Each student gave it their all, tackling some seriously tricky words with confidence and determination.

During the Stage 2 event, the competition heated up and eventually came down to the final three: Hugo G (3/4S), Gus D (4J), and Campbell R (4J) . The tension was high as they powered through to the Level 5 list, impressing everyone with their focus and skill. In the end, Hugo G (3/4S) took out the top spot and will proudly represent Stage 2 at the local finals.

For our Stage 3 students, words including nautical, anarchy, rapport and censorship challenged our talented spellers, with Tina H (6H) taking out the crown. She will join Hugo in representing NPS during the local finals round next term.

A massive congratulations to all of our 2025 spellers – what a brilliant effort!

National Songwriting Competition opportunity

National Songwriting Competition opportunity

Entries for the Australian Children’s Music Foundation’s annual National Songwriting Competition are now OPEN! This is a fantastic, free opportunity for students to express themselves creatively and potentially win great prizes for themselves and/or their school. Students can put pen-to-paper and enter their original songs! It’s a great activity a holiday project! Further information and the entry form can be found via the attached link or QR code.

https://acmf.com.au/national-songwriting-competition-entry-form/

Their Care Newsletter

Their Care Newsletter

Premier’s Reading Challenge 2025

Premier’s Reading Challenge 2025

 

The holidays are almost upon us and perhaps it is time to unwind with a good book or three!

 

Students have been entering their books into the Premier’s Reading Challenge website, a total of 58 students have completed it so far! I will be updating the K-2 records over the holidays with all the wonderful books that their teachers (and myself) have read to them in their classrooms over the last term.

 

**Remember the Friday 19 September (11:59 pm) is the closing date – all books must be entered online (in the Student Reading Record) to successfully complete the challenge**

 

Any questions or queries please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Mrs Parker (Teacher Librarian)

Book Fair 2025 – SAVE THE DATE!

Book Fair 2025 – SAVE THE DATE!

 

On Thursday 7th August there will be a book fair held in the school library (8am – 11am) as part of the Education Week Open Day celebrations. The NPS library is looking forward to welcoming the community and restocking and revitalising the collection as a result of the kind donations made. We thank the wonderful Gleebooks as our suppliers who will be assisting with the book fair on the day.

There will be:

  • New titles that may be purchased to donate to the collection
  • Authors’ tables holding books by a selection of authors that can be purchased to take home

Please do not bring books in to donate to the library. Later in the year we might have a chance to organise a Great Book Swap to support the amazing work the Indigenous Literacy Foundation will be held and books from home can be brought in then.

If you are unable to visit on Thursday but wish to contribute to the library collection then a link to our book suppliers donation page will be made available for you to donate funds online to support the purchase of new texts for the library – we thank you in advance.

Mrs Parker (Teacher Librarian)

Library – 2025 National Simultaneous Storytime Competition Winners!

Library – 2025 National Simultaneous Storytime Competition Winners!

As part of our National Simultaneous Storytime celebrations here at Northbridge, the Library ran a few competitions to encourage student imagination. These included K-2 colouring, 3-6 creativity and a whole school ‘Match the teacher to the cat’ competition.

Congratulations to all those students who entered.

Our winners were:

K-2 Colouring 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hunter – KC                                           Vivi – 1M

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scarlett – 2B

3-6 Creativity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sophie – 5B                                                        Lana & Felicia – 6H/6L

 

 

 

 

 

Amy – 5B

 

K-6 Match the Cat to the Teacher

Answers: 1 = G, 2 = E, 3 = A, 4 = B, 5 = D, 6 = F, 7 = C, 8 = H

Well done to Toby – 4O, Harry – 4O, Arianna – 5H, Nat – 6H and Miss Bulgin who all tied as our top guessers.

Mrs Parker

Cammeray Art Fair

Cammeray Art Fair