TERM 3 WEEK 5/6 NEWSLETTER 2025

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

OEPS EXTERNAL VALIDATION

On Tuesday, 19^th August, our school finalised our External Validation (EV). This is a Department of Education system requirement undertaken at least every 5 years, where the school does a self-assessment against the School Excellence Framework in the three domains of Learning, Teaching and Leading, across 14 elements. The School Excellence Framework supports schools in our pursuit of excellence by providing a clear description of the key elements of high-quality practice.

Over the course of the past 2 terms, the school executives worked to gather evidence to support our progress in the 14 elements. The submission was uploaded three weeks ago and numbered at over 30 pages and 11,000 words, containing in excess of 130 pieces of evidence!

Last Tuesday, several representatives from our school executive team met with the Validation Panel consisting of a peer principal, Principal School Leadership and the Director Public Schools Orange. During this meeting, we presented our submission to the panel and outlined the significant work we undertake at our school.

I am happy to report that this was a great experience with the panel validating the great work happening across the school. Our school was validated as Excelling in the element of Wellbeing. We were validated at Sustaining and Growing in the elements of Learning Culture, Curriculum, Assessment, Reporting, Effective Classroom Practice, Data Skills & Use, Professional Standards, Learning & Development, Education Leadership, School Resources and Management Practices & Processes. In the elements of Student Performance Measures and School Planning, Implementation & Reporting, the school was validated as Delivering. As a school, we are extremely pleased to attain this validation, which affirms and supports our commitment to our students.

Our next steps in our regular evaluative practice include:

• Critically working through the upcoming school planning processes and resources to ensure that our 2026-29 School Plan is concise, high-quality and well understood across our community.
• Build teacher and leadership capacity in using a variety of student assessment data to evaluate the effectiveness of teacher impact and learning programs.
• Develop teacher confidence in using explicit teaching strategies across all key learning areas underpinned by a thorough knowledge of syllabus and learning progressions.
• Strengthen a strong learning culture shared by students, staff and parents to support high expectations of engagement, learning progress and achievement.
• Enhance processes in school-wide strategic planning and evidence collection to ensure impact is consistently and systematically evaluated to inform whole school areas of focus, programs and initiatives.

I would like to acknowledge the hard work and expertise of the executive team, particularly Mrs Wright, Mrs Maclean and Miss Croker in working to ensure that our process was thorough, high-quality and efficient. We are extremely fortunate to have such an experienced and dedicated group of leaders.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND REMINDERS

Congratulations to:

• Jeremy the Scarecrow: He may have won the battle against the plovers...or they just got sick of dodging soccer balls!
• OEPS Exec Team: Great work completing External Validation, you nailed it!
• Kinder Transitioners (2026): It was wonderful to meet some of our Kinder students of 2026 as we commenced our Supported Transition Playgroup on Thursday. They settled in beautifully!
• OEPS Students - Today's Casual Clothes Day was very successful, raising $279. All funds will be donated to the Performing Arts Project to assist with the livestreaming cost.

Good luck to:

• OEPS Choir: The Choir will be performing at the Orange Eisteddfod next Thursday, 4th September and again at the Performing Arts Project on Tuesday, 9th September. You have worked hard with Mrs Mac, you will be fantastic!
• Stage 3 Dance Troupe: Best of luck for your performance at the Performing Arts Project on Monday, 8th September. We know you will bring it!
• OEPS Debating Team B: Best of luck in your semi-final debate against Coolah Central School on Thursday, 11th September. We know you will represent with pride and determination!
• OEPS Debating Team A: Good luck in your semi-final debate against Mudgee Public School on Thursday, 18th September. Take it to them!

Save the Date:

• Book Character Parade/Open Classrooms: Tuesday, 16th September (Week 9). 
• Term 3 PBL Award Assemblies: Friday, 26th September (Week 10).

OFFICE VISITORS

SCHOOL NEWS

2026 KINDERGARTEN ENROLMENTS

Plans are now well underway for our incoming 2026 Kindergarten students and in particular, our school transition processes. If you intend to enrol a kindergarten student for next year, or know of someone who will be, please ensure enrolments are placed via the school office as soon as possible. Our enrolment panel convened last week, with offers going out to successful applicants.

SUMMARY OF KEY DATES

• OEPS Supported Transition Playgroup – Commences Mid-Term 3 (Thursday, 28^th August)
• Kinder Parent Information Evening – Wednesday, 3^rd September
• Kinder Transition Sessions – Commence Early Term 4 (Thursday, 23^rd October)

Please see the attachment below for more information about our 2026 Kinder enrolment process and Transition to School Program.

OPEN CLASSROOM/CHARACTER PARADE

Our School Open Day (open classrooms) and Book Character Parade will be held in Week 9 on Tuesday, 16th September. As per previous years, students are invited to come dressed as their favourite book character. The Book Week theme this year is ‘Book an Adventure!’.  The format for the day will be Open Classrooms from 11:30am - 12:20pm, Book Character Parade at 12:25pm followed by a BBQ at 1:10pm. All parents/caregivers and wider family are welcome to attend.

PBL AWARD ASSEMBLIES - FRIDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER

Our Term 3 PBL Award Assemblies will be held in Week 10, Friday 26th September in the school hall. All parents and caregivers are welcome to attend. This term we will hold four presentations to distribute the audience so that as many people as possible can fit into the hall for each presentation. Please see below for specific times and classes:

Please note that the cut-off date for 'Yetis/Dojos' to be recorded this term is Wednesday, 17th September - to allow us time to collate results, organise awards and the distribution of invitations to parents. Parents/carer invitations will be sent out via email in Week 9 notifying you if your child/ren will be receiving a new level.

A reminder: it is possible that students may be presented with two levels during a term. It is also possible for a student to have an assembly where they do not receive an award as during the term they did not quite progress another level since the previous term’s award assembly . This is not necessarily a reflection of a poor effort across the term and in all likelihood they may have been just a few ‘Yetis’ short.

Further information can be found at the link below.

CLOTHING POOL

The Clothing Pool is open every Wednesday morning from 8:40 to 9:10 AM. Afternoons are available by appointment only. A reminder that the Clothing Pool has moved to the former General Assistant/Cleaner's Shed, located next to the disabled toilet.

Due to high demand for sizes 8, 10, and 12, there is currently very limited availability of second-hand items.

We kindly remind all parents to label their child's uniform items with their name. This will help ensure that lost items are returned quickly.

The Clothing Pool also welcomes donations of clothing. Please drop off items at the office or Clothing Pool on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Thank you for your support!

ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS AND STUDENT ABSENCES

We are committed to working with you to offer support and remove any barriers that may be preventing your child from regularly attending school.

Please remember that the NSW Education Act requires that all student absences must be explained within 7 days of the first day of them being away from school. Please contact us promptly whenever your child is absent and let us know the reason for them being away. This allows us to provide the right support and make sure your child's absences are recorded correctly. Absences can be explained via the School Bytes App or Parent Portal, email, note, phone call or in person.

Explaining Student Absences Using School Bytes

In the event your child has repeated or ongoing unexplained absences, we will continue to try to contact you about each absence to provide appropriate support for you and your family.

We know that for our students every day of school matters.

Missing a day here or there may not seem like much, but absences add up and can negatively impact your child's learning and wellbeing. When your child misses one day a week, that's 40 days of school and 8 weeks of learning in one year. Over an entire school journey this adds up to 2.5 years of lost learning.

If you have any questions or if you need support with your child’s attendance, please contact our School Attendance Monitor, Miss Croker - 6362 7464 or alison.croker@det.nsw.edu.au.

CURRENT FORMS/PERMISSION NOTES

UPCOMING EVENTS

FRIDAY ASSEMBLY

ASSEMBLY INFORMATION

In 2025 we will continue with our regular alternating Friday Assembly with parents and carers invited to attend. The assembly commences at 2pm on Friday in the School Hall. Each week the assembly will alternate between Primary (Yr 3-6) and Infants (K-2).

On Friday mornings from 8:40am, either Infants or Primary students (corresponding with the assembly weeks listed below) are invited to bring their lots of 10 Blue Merit Awards to the office for stamping. During the day, we will also process Principal Awards and Homereading Awards. These awards and the Safe Respectful Learner Awards will be presented at the assembly after lunch.

Parents will receive a notification early in the week via the School Bytes app if your child is receiving a Principal’s Award.

Photos of the award recipients will continue be included in the newsletter the following week.

Please note the roster below:

Term 3

• Week 7 – Friday, 5th September (Infants, K-2)
• Week 8 – Friday, 12th September (Primary, Yr 3-6)
• Week 9 – Friday, 19th September (Infants, K-2)
• Week 10 - PBL Award Assemblies Friday, 26th September

WEEK 4 PRIMARY ASSEMBLY

WEEK 5 INFANTS ASSEMBLY

FEATURE CLASS

5/6CROCODILE

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P&C NEWS

P&C FATHER’S DAY STALL – FRIDAY, 5 SEPTEMBER

All Gifts $5

Gifts for Dad, Pop, Uncle—or anyone you’d like to celebrate and say thank you to on Father’s Day! Some smaller items are bundled—so there may be more than one item per $5.

Order now: https://qrco.de/OEPSfathersday

Hurry—orders close on Thursday, 28 August 2025. Due to the time required to purchase gifts, no late orders can be accepted after this date.

How to Order:

1. Select the class(es) your child/children are in.
2. Select the total number of gifts you’d like to buy.
3. At checkout, include your children’s names separated by commas (e.g., Bart Simpson, Maggie Simpson, Lisa Simpson).

Please contact the school should you require assistance.

P&C MEETINGS 2025

Term 3 Meetings

• Week 9 - Monday, 15th September @ 6:30pm

Meetings are held between 6:30 - 7:30pm in the Staffroom with access from the Spring Street entrance (see map below). Meeting length is strictly limited to one hour or less if possible! New members are warmly welcomed. Do not hesitate to contact the school office if you would like further information.

Parents and carers can also opt to join via Zoom Meeting:

https://us05web.zoom.us/j/8018279751?pwd=fZEKBn6L7hE4yZUuhsMNHKPPJzMRTH.1&omn=81359200690

Meeting ID: 801 827 9751
Passcode: OEPS

JOINING THE P&C OR VOLUNTEERING

We love parent involvement at Orange East. You can volunteer in the classroom, working bees, help cook at BBQ's, share your professional or special interest skills, join a committee and more. Please complete this online form to register your interest and the P&C will email you details of upcoming events and P&C meetings for your calendar.

Expressions of Interest - OEPS P&C (google.com)

COMMUNITY NOTICES