The Power of Practising Optimistic Thinking 

In our fast-paced world, where challenges and uncertainties can often overshadow our daily lives, cultivating a mindset of optimism is more important than ever. Optimistic thinking not only enhances our emotional well-being but also boosts our resilience, enabling us to navigate life's ups and downs with grace.

Research has shown that optimistic individuals tend to experience lower levels of stress and anxiety, better physical health, and improved performance in various aspects of life, including academics and relationships. By focusing on positive outcomes and possibilities, we can increase our motivation and set ourselves up for success.

One delightful way to embrace optimism is through the simple act of smiling. Spike Milligan, the renowned poet and comedian, beautifully encapsulated this idea in his poem "Smile." The poem reminds us that a smile can be a powerful tool—it can uplift not only our own spirits but also those around us. Here is the poem in full:

Smile

Smiling is infectious,
You catch it like the flu.
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling too.
I walked around the corner,
And someone saw me grin.
When he smiled I realised,
I had passed it on to him.
I thought about the smile,
And then realised its worth.
A single smile like mine,
Could travel round the earth.
So if you feel a smile begin,
Don’t leave it undetected.
Start an epidemic,
And get the world infected.

Milligan’s poem shows us how one little smile can make a big difference. When students practise positive thinking and share their smiles, they create a friendly and supportive environment in their classrooms and beyond.

As we think about the power of a smile, we can also remember the classic song "When you're Smiling (the whole world smiles with you)".  Listen for a version of this one in our music bell selection this week. 

As members of the Killarney Heights Public School community, let’s encourage our students to think positively—not just for themselves but also for their classmates, teachers, friends and family. By fostering a culture of kindness and encouragement, we can help everyone feel more connected and engaged in their learning.

Let’s remember how powerful a smile can be and how important it is to embrace optimistic thinking. Together, we can spread positivity, happiness and hope, making our school community a welcoming place for everyone!

Hoping the world smiles with you all this week!

Gillian Tegg

Luca enjoyed spending time with students in the office and other areas of our school last week. So many highlights, including congratulating Etienne and Louise on their recent book awards and Hagop for his reading achievement. I would also like to extend my congratulations to these wonderful students. Keep up the good work!

This Term at KHPS

Francophonie Week / Semaine de la Francophonie

The entire school will celebrate International Francophonie Week next week, from Monday 24 to Friday 28 March.  

Did you know? 

·         French is spoken by more than 300 million people worldwide and is the fifth-most-spoken language on the planet.  

·         French is the second-most-studied language in the world, with some 125 million students and 900,000 teachers of French abroad.

·         French & English are the only languages spoken on all five continents!  

These facts are a reminder as to why a bilingual education is a huge asset in our global society and reinforce the reason why we are all here as FANS members. 

The teachers of French prepared a daily schedule of fun activities to celebrate Francophonie Week, for the whole school to enjoy.

Every recess and lunch break, there will be indoor and outdoor activities for students, such as hockey, karaoke, the famous flag hunt (chasse aux drapeaux), pétanque, word games, and a new Tahitian dancing activity!

Francophonie Week schedule

Stages 2 & 3 Homework – Presentation of a Francophone Country

Francophone stream students in Stages 2 & 3 are creating a presentation about a Francophone country from a list of options provided in their homework booklets. This presentation is due in Week 9 for Francophonie Week.

If the presentation is in Powerpoint format, it can be attached to an email to the school, with attention to the child’s Teacher of French: killarney-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

More details about the presentation can be found at the front of the homework booklet.

Lève ta voix

Lève ta voix is a reading aloud competition, open to Francophone stream students in Years 1-6, with presentations taking place during Week 11. More information can be found in students’ homework booklets.

This activity is organised in partnership with AAFEBS (Australian Association of French-English Bilingual Schools). Finalists selected from KHPS will go on to compete against other AAFEBS network schools.

Week 8: Students select a text
Week 9 & 10: Rehearse the delivery of the text at home
Week 11: Presentation of the text at school

Second-hand French language book sale

Stock up on French books for children & adults at the upcoming Francophonie Week second-hand book sales. Look for the book stand beside the Red Gate mural at the following dates and times:

• Tuesday 25 March
  8:30am – 9:30am
• Thursday 27 March
  7:50am – 9:15am
• Friday 28 March
  2:30pm – 3:30pm
  
  

Volunteers needed!

If you're able to help with set-up, sales, or pack-up, please sign-up with your availability: Book sale volunteers

Merci beaucoup!

Art exhibition: « Le Monde Sans Fin »

Join FANS (French-speaking Association of the North Shore) and KHPS as we unveil an inspiring exhibition based on the bestselling graphic novel "Le Monde sans fin" (World without end) by Jean-Marc Jancovici and Christophe Blain.

The exhibition sheds light on key sustainability challenges and offers practical solutions in renewable energy, transportation, urban planning, and responsible consumption.

Where: O Block | Year 5/6 building

When: During Francophonie Week, Monday 24 March – Friday 28 March

Who: All students will enjoy the exhibit during school hours

Parents are invited to view the exhibition on its last day, on Friday 28 March from 2:30pm to 3:30pm (during the second-hand French book sale).

Francophonie Week - Canteen Special

FANS is offering a canteen special to help celebrate Francophonie Week! Parents will be able to pre-order mini croissants for their child’s morning tea (recess) for Friday 28 March.

Three options:

• 2 x mini croissants
• 2 x mini pains au chocolat
• Mixed pack: 1 of each
• Price: $3.00 for a pack of 2

Sales open today on Flexischools until Wednesday 26th March (11:59pm)

Programs

Athletics Carnival & IFBS, Years 3-6

Due to the KHPS Athletics Carnival taking place on Thursday 10 April (Week 11), students and teachers in Years 3-6 will leave school by bus at 8:00am.

Unfortunately this means that the IFBS Francophone classes for students in Years 3-6 won’t be taking place.  

Students in Year 1-2 are not attending the Athletics Carnival and IFBS class will take place as usual.

Ze Spectacle! Telopea Park School incursion

Students will enjoy a special incursion this week on Wednesday 19 March from 2:00-3:00pm  from the French Drama Club of fellow AAFEBS (Australian Association of French-English Bilingual Schools) network school, Telopea Park.

L’Etude Homework Club for Anglophone stream students

Hurry in! Three spots remain before we can launch the Etude Homework Club for Anglophone stream students for Term 2. Please send your expression of interest to join the group, Monday 3pm - 4pm, for students from Years 3 to 6.

This group is available as a separate enrolment at a cost of $25 per session and are invoiced per term.

Interested? Please write us with your child’s details to admin@fanssydney.org

Social

Alliance Française French Film Festival at Roseville Cinemas 
FANS member rate

Join fellow FANS parents, students and alumni at the Alliance Française French Film Festival with discounted tickets of $17 per person at selected screenings at Roseville Cinemas.

Tickets are still available to attend the following sessions:

The Story of Souleymane / L’histoire de Souleymane
Sunday 23 March, 7:00pm

My Brother’s Band / En fanfare
Sunday 30 March, 2:15pm

NEW session!
Riviera Revenge
Monday 31 March, 7:00pm

Get tickets

Best regards,

Anne Bentley
GM FANS

Mathematics 

These groups will be known as ‘Pythagoras Club’ or ‘Pi Club’ for short. The overarching focus of the program is extending students’ mathematical intuition in problem solving, building their higher order thinking skills and providing increased differentiation in the area of mathematics. Stage One will focus on introducing and practicing various problem-solving strategies and will participate in the Maths Quest Program. Stage Two will consolidate and investigate a broader range of problem-solving strategies and will participate in the Maths Explorer/Games Competition. Stage Three will use learnt strategies to solve complex problems and undertake mathematical investigations within a real-world context. In addition, they will be representing the school in the Maths Olympiad, specifically designed to stimulate and challenge students at the primary school level. Students from Years 1 - 6 will be carefully selected based on recommendations from the HPGE committee, classroom teachers and analysis of school data gathered from in-class and standardised assessments.  

Student qualities:

• a solid understanding of whole number, addition & subtraction, multiplication & division at relevant level 
• proven ability to apply numbers fluently to a variety of problems 
• open mindedness and demonstrated love of mathematics 
• independent but seeks challenges and craves high expectations in mathematics. 

Writing 

These groups will be known as ‘Wordsmiths’ and aim to facilitate high achievement and talent development in writing. In Term 2, students will engage in explicitly taught lessons to further improve targeted writing skills and have the opportunity to participate in the Write-On Competition. During Term 3, students will compose and design their own narrative which will be published as a ‘book’.  Students from Years 1 - 6 will be selected based on recommendations from the HPGE committee, classroom teachers and data gathered from standardised assessments.  

Student qualities:

• a positive attitude and clear passion to write (chooses to write for fun, in their spare time) 
• ability to plan and develop ideas to engage their audience 
• demonstrated ability to experiment with advanced vocabulary, punctuation and structure and literary devices 

These programs will commence in Term 2 and will involve students being taken out of their regular classes to participate.   Please be aware that these programs attract a lot of interest, however, a limited number of places are available. Families will be informed of a child’s inclusion in a HPGE program by a letter or permission note.  Miss Imogen Nolan will be coordinating the Pi Club program and Ms Michelle Cox will be coordinating the Wordsmiths program. 

Miss Elysha Casey   
HPGE Coordinator 

• 200m
• 800m
• 1500m
• All field events

• 100m: 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place in the final will be required to compete at the zone level.
• 200m: 1st and 2nd place in the final will be required to compete at the zone level.
• 800m: 1st and 2nd place in the final will be required to compete at the zone level.
• 1500m: 1st and 2nd place in the final will be required to compete at the zone level.
• Shot Put, Discus, Long Jump, and High Jump: 1st and 2nd place will be required to compete at the zone level.

The Year 6 to 7 transition process is now open and can be completed by parents and carers online through the following link: Transition to high school

When completing the Expression of Interest, you'll need to supply the student details, parent carer details, and list your intended high school. By entering your home address, the details of your local high school will appear there is also options for out of area high schools.

You can generally expect to receive an enrolment offer between June and September. The second step you have to take, is to accept the enrolment offer. You do this by submitting an online enrolment application. This needs to be done within 14 days of receiving the offer.

If you are planning on sending your child to a non-government school, you will still need to complete the form selecting placement at a non-government is not required.

The expression of interest form will close on the 28th March 2025.

KHPS Administration Team

National Ride2School Day is the perfect opportunity for students and school communities across Australia to embrace a healthier start and to try riding and walking to school for themselves. We encourage all families to participate by riding, walking, skating or scooting to school on Friday 21 March. Please remember to respect road safety rules to keep our community safe. 

NSSWE Autumn Festival

Senior Band families - save the date in your calendars for the NSSWE Autumn Festival on Monday 7 April 6.30pm at The Forest High School.

Term 1 Band Workshop

The Term 1 Band workshop was held at school on Sunday, with students from all ensembles attending for tutorials and focused ensemble practice. The kids enjoyed some fun parent-led activities and games between their sessions of hard work with section tutors, and finished up the day with a brief concert for families to showcase their achievements after the workshop. The Training band kids have been learning for a few short weeks and are are doing so well, they treated the audience to a rendition of “Hot Cross Buns”, followed by Intermediate Band with “Born to be wild”, then senior band playing “Moai”.  Well done students!

A big thank you to all the family volunteers who attended and helped make the day a big success.