PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
Voluntary Contributions
Each year we ask parents and carers to contribute voluntary funding to our school to supplement funds provided by the Department of Education. These contributions enable the school to provide improved resources and facilities to enhance student’s learning experiences. You will receive a letter outlining indicative amounts by either the end of this term or the start of Term 2. We request that, where possible, payments are made by the end of Term 2, 2025. Your generous donations enable us to enrich the learning opportunities for all children attending our school. Thank you!
NAPLAN
The Year 3 and Year 5 students have completed the 2025 NAPLAN over the past few weeks. I would like to thank Mrs Chan our Assistant Principal, Curriculum & Instruction, for all her organisation to have the NAPLAN run as smoothly as possible. I would like to thank the Year 3 & Year 5 staff for administering the assessment in the classrooms and the students for dedication to doing their best.
Gymnastics Program
Early Stage 1 (Kindergarten) and Stage 1 (Year 1 & Year 2) will begin a Gymnastics program in the school hall each Monday during Term 2. Gymnastics is part of the PDHPE syllabus teaching students’ fundamental movement skills that assist in preparing students for many other physical activities. The program is being run by SISA Australia and they will target each stage of learning according to ability and syllabus outcome requirements. A note for Early Stage 1 and Stage 1 families will be sent out via School Bytes. Please note for those students who do not have a returned permission note and payment by Thursday 1 May, they will be unable to participate in this program.
P&C Meeting and 2025 Executive team
On Tuesday 11 March the P&C held their annual AGM and elected a new executive team.
Congratulations to the following newly elected executive members:
President – still open
Vice President – Mrs Krystal Vaux; Mrs Nadezhda Vostrikov
Treasurer – Mr Sibi Mathew
Secretary – Mrs Susanna Catalina Prat
WHS Self-Assessment
Each year the Work Health & Safety (WHS) Advisor meets with the business manager, Mrs Shelley Sellar, and the Principal to review the school procedures and guidelines that are in place to cover health and safety at EHPS. We are pleased to report that our school was the first school in the Gordon Network to receive 100% performance score, demonstrating our strong safety culture.
March Aussie of the Month
March Aussie of the Month – Aizah S (4K) was nominated by Ms Prothero for donating her hair to a barber in Ryde to support those going through cancer treatment.
Congratulations Aizah!
School Attendance
As we head into the end of Term 1, it remains important that your child attends school every single day. School is the best place for students to learn as well as to build social connections and life-long skills.
We understand that families are eager to see and reconnect with loved ones and take a well-deserved break, or simply avoid travelling during peak times, but please remember that planned travel should only be taken during scheduled school holidays.
Students should be at school every day during the school terms, until the end of term, unless they are sick or are absent for a justified reason. It is very important that a student’s absence is also justified with a reason for the absence, provided to the school from a parent/carer as close to the absence or on the day of the absence. If you have not informed the school, then you will receive a reminder email and if that email is not responded to a letter will be sent home.
Consistently going to school has countless benefits – from learning, to creating social connections and improving wellbeing through access to support and quality education.
Our staff are here to support you and your child to come to school every day. If you have any concerns or questions please talk to me, the front office staff or your class teacher.
Thank you for working with us to support regular attendance, and we look forward to a successful and enjoyable end of term.
The following graph is our attendance by year groups for the weeks we have been at school. The school tracks and monitors this data each week.
School Therapy Dog
As part of supporting students who suffer from anxiety and at times have difficulty separating from parents/carers before school, many schools across NSW have introduced a therapy dog to assist with having students enter schools in a safe and calm way.
At EHPS we want all students to have a good start to their school day and we would like to introduce a trial of a therapy dog on a Monday morning each week for Term 2 - 4, from 9am – 12pm. The dog will begin the morning with a meet and greet at the front gate. THERAPuppy does ask that families do not bring their own dog to the gates during this time.
Our school has engaged the services of THERAPuppy. These dogs have all been trained to work in schools. Each dog completes specialised school dog training and completes recertification every twelve months. School dogs have been proven to help students reach their potential by providing a way to calm and ground them.
Our school dog is “Luna”, and Luna will attend with her handler, and will always be on a lead. As part of our preparation, it is crucial to establish if we have any students who are afraid of or allergic to dogs. If your child/ren is scared of or allergic to dogs, could you please send an email to the school email or to Nicole.henderson@det.nsw.edu.au as soon as possible. I will then contact you to discuss the arrangements of how your child may be included in sessions with the dog, if appropriate.
In all classrooms the teachers will be displaying the THERAPuppy Rules poster. This is to remind staff and students of the rules we all need to follow when around Luna. Please take time to also reinforce these rules with your child/ren at home. Please take the time to have a look at the following link https://youtu.be/pBF4sCWn4No that will introduce yourself and your child/ren to THERAPuppy.
We look forward to meeting "Luna" in Term 2.
We look forward to meeting "Luna" in Term 2.
EHPS Homework Procedures/Guidelines
The school is updating the EHPS Homework Procedures/Guidelines based on the survey results that were received from staff, students and parents/carers. Following is a summary of the survey results. The new guidelines will be published early in Term 2.
Driving and Parking near the school
When driving along Lincoln Street, it is crucial to prioritise safety for all road users. Please be mindful of speed limits and keep an eye out for pedestrian. Safe parking is equally important; always park in designated areas and ensure that your vehicle does not obstruct traffice or access points.
We kindly ask everyone to respect the work of parking rangers, who are there to maintain order and ensure that parking regulations are followed for the benefit of the entire community. Your cooperation helps create a safer environment for everyone on the road and for the safety of all students.
School Development Days Term 2
The first two days of school in Term 2, Monday 28 April & Tuesday 29 April, are allocated as a School Development Day for all Public schools across NSW. Teaching and non-teaching staff will be involved in their annual Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) mandatory training and High Potential Gifted Education (HPGE) training on these days. These are student-free days and only teaching and non-teaching staff are required to be on-site.
As we approach the end of Term 1, I want to take a moment to recognise the incredible efforts of our students, staff, and the wider community in making 2025 a remarkable start. Please note that the final day of Term 1 will be Friday 11 April.
I encourage everyone to enjoy a well-deserved break, cherishing quality time with your children. To all our wonderful students, have a fantastic time with your families and stay safe. To my exceptional teaching and non-teaching staff, your dedication this term has been outstanding, and I hope you find time to relax and recharge for Term 2.
I eagerly await the return of our teaching and non-teaching staff on Monday 28 April and Tuesday 29 April, for our Staff Development Days, and look forward to welcoming our K-6 students back on Wednesday 30 April.
Network Level Representative Council
On Tuesday 1 April, Chloe and Esther represented EHPS at the Gordon Network Representative Council with Mrs Stacey Exner, Director Education and Leadership. This is a new initiative aimed at having student voice when tackling project-based challenges within a cluster of schools. During their morning session Chloe & Esther worked with students from other schools in the Gordon Network to address how students felt around the focus area of 'transition'. They discussed transition from preschool to school; Year 6 to high school and also high school to tertiary education / workforce.
Mrs Nicole Henderson
Principal
