Welcome to the 2026 school year. I hope your children have enjoyed their start to the year, whether it is a Prep in their first year of schooling, a Year 6 in their last year of Primary School or a new student from another school who is joining us for the first time.  We are happy to have everyone back with us for 2026.

Buildings

You will notice that we have had 3 new buildings installed over the holidays.  These are STEM rooms and an admin building to assist us with our growth.  A new double level relocatable will be installed soon and will ensure we have enough room for the rest of this year.

Assemblies

We will be beginning assemblies at 2.35pm from this point forward to cater for the extra classes we have had to add.  Parents are welcome to join us at assembly, however we ask that you vacate the entrance when the time comes to release all of the students at the end of the day.  Prep parents will be advised to move around the front of the gym to pick up their children.

Road Safety

I have been quite alarmed by the number of near misses we have experienced around the perimeter of the school in relation to pedestrians and cars.  I will remind you that the area at the front of the school is a drop off and pick up zone.  This means that you are not permitted to stop in this area for longer than a minute.  I would also ask that you drive slowly and exercise patience during pick up and drop times.  There are a lot of people beeping their horns out of impatience and frustration, when a calm approach is warranted and needed.  We want to ensure all of our children remain safe.

There are also 2 dedicated crossing spots that are to be used when crossing the road.  The number of parents and carers who are ignoring the safety of themselves and their children is truly alarming and needs to be addressed.  I would ask that all of you use the crossings when crossing the road.  The speed bump on the corner of Arklay Rd is not a crossing, however the one on Tower Street is a crossing and people should be slowing down and stopping for pedestrians at this spot.

I have contacted the Council to review our current situation and I am hoping they will come around and work with us soon to ensure the safety of our students.

Bikes and scooters

A reminder that ebikes and electric scooters are illegal for children under 16.  It is also for anyone to ride a bike without a helmet.  We are seeing too many students ride to school without helmets and we are also hearing of near misses where children are not looking both ways when cars are present.

Parent Meet and Greet

We are having a Parent Meet and Greet afternoon on Wednesday 18th February.  There will be two information sessions led by each teaching team across the school starting at 3.10pm and 4pm.  We would ask parents to attend one of these sessions.  After each session parents will have the opportunity to informally greet their child’s teacher.  This will only be for students in Years 1 to 6 as the Prep parents have been subjected to quite a few meetings and presentations since they have enrolled.  Anyone who would like to make an appointment to discuss specifics with their child’s teacher are encouraged to make an appointment for a later date.

Have a great weekend.

Darryl Spiteri

Principal

Congratulations to 56F who achieved the best attendance for the week ending 6th February, 2026.

Congratulations to 2A who achieved the best attendance for the week ending 13th February, 2026.

PRIMARY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education. Students learn new things at school every day – missing school puts them behind.

If your child is sick or absent, you are required to notify school as soon as possible on the day of absence using one of the following methods:

1. Online: log the absence directly using Compass.
2. Telephone: the school office and let the staff know your child’s name, class, date of absences and reason.

Notifying the school of your child’s absence either prior to, or on the day that they will be away, helps ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and will fulfil your legal responsibility.

Why do I need to notify the school if my child is absent?

Schools need to know when and why a child is absent and you need to know if your child isn’t at school.

If your child is absent on a particular day and you have not contacted the school to explain why, the absence will be marked as unexplained.

This system also promotes daily school attendance. Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education, they learn new things every day – missing school puts them behind.

What is your responsibility?

You are legally required to ensure your child attends school every day or you must provide an explanation for their absence. You should let the school know in advance of any upcoming absences or let them know in the morning if your child won’t be at school. Avoid making routine medical and dental appointments during the school day or planning family holidays during the term.

Recognising great attendance and punctuality.

Our attendance target is 96%.  Each week, we reward the class with the highest attendance (which includes getting to school on time!), with our school mascot, Ripwell in their classroom for the week.

Adding Absence Notes on Compass

Figure 1 Parents can add absence notes by clicking ‘Shortcuts’ and selecting ‘Submit absence note’.

Figure 2 If you have more than one student at the school, you will be required to select which child the note is being added for.

Figure 3 In the note screen, you will need to select the reason from the available options listed.

Figure 4 Add any applicable details/comments and click on the ‘Start Date’ and/or ‘End Date’ fields to add in the correct information for the absence note.

When all content is added to the absence note, click ‘Add Attendance Note’ button and the absence note will be added to the student’s record.

Our Learning in Year 5/6

Welcome to a positive start to Term 1 in our Grade 5 and 6 classes for 2026!

We have begun the year with our Ready to Learn Program, where students revised our school-wide values, routines, and expectations. Through a range of activities, students focused on teamwork, problem-solving, and building positive learning habits to help set them up for a successful year ahead.  This strong foundation has supported students as they settle back into learning and begin taking on greater responsibility as senior students within our school community.

Aspire Leadership Incursion

Recently, we also held the Aspire – Unleashing Personal Potential Workshop at school. During the workshop, students participated in engaging activities focused on team building, problem solving, taking initiative, and leadership. The session provided students with opportunities to identify their strengths, develop confidence, and practise being positive role models for younger students and the wider Thornhill Park community.

Dates to remember: –
NAPLAN (Year 5 students): 11th March 2026
National Young Leaders Day (School and House Captains): 27th March 2026
House Spirit Day – Colour Run: 1st April 2026

We are also dedicated to reinforcing our school-wide behaviour matrix, emphasizing respect, responsibility, and a strong sense of community. This initiative is crucial in maintaining a positive and inclusive school environment.

As we continue our journey through Term 1, we would like to remind families of a few key points to help our students thrive:
● Reading Challenge: Encourage your child to read every night, to reach 300 nights of reading. This
practice is crucial for developing literacy skills and fostering a love for reading.
● School Uniform: Please ensure your child wears the full school uniform daily. Presenting in
uniform promotes a sense of pride and belonging within our school community.
● Attendance: Regular attendance is vital for your child’s educational progress. To add a bit of fun
and motivation, Mr. Spiteri will host a BBQ for the class with the highest attendance this term.

Let’s aim to participate fully and enjoy this special reward!

Thank you for your ongoing support and for fostering a positive atmosphere where our students can flourish. We look forward to celebrating their achievements and growth as the term progresses.

Every Day Counts

The importance of regular school attendance.

At Thornhill Park Primary School, we prioritise regular school attendance. We will work with families to ensure students are in class with their peers and teachers and enjoying all the benefits that brings.

Attending school every day means experiencing what counts – the learning, friendship, fun and opportunities that can shape your child’s future.

We understand that there are times when your child will need to miss school but to ensure minimal disruption to their education, please consider scheduling family holidays or medical/dental appointments outside of school time. If your child is well enough to attend but is worried about friendships, schoolwork or exams, please encourage them to come to school. Avoiding school can make these feelings worse and can create a negative pattern of behaviour.

If your child is having difficulty attending school, talk to their teacher about getting support.

We know that parents and carers can be juggling challenges daily to get your children to school. If your child must miss school, notify us as soon as possible via Compass so we can work together to support them.

For more information about the importance of everyday attendance, see Attendance and Missing School.

Remember, Every Day Counts.

A Message from First Aid

Dear Families

Prep parents just a reminder to place spare clothes in your child’s bag just in case they have a toileting accident, this can sometimes happen in first term.

If your child is unwell please keep them home until they are well enough to be back at school, this helps them to recover quickly and prevents other children from becoming sick in the classroom and update compass as your child being away due to illness.

For students that require medications to be administered at school, please ensure that you provide the appropriate medication in the original packaging that is clearly labelled.

Any medication must be given to the School First Aid Officer at reception as forms are required to be completed.

Helping with the above, helps us to best support your child/ren at school.  Thank you 😊

Personal Accident Insurance and Ambulance Cover

Parents and Guardians are reminded that the Department does not provide personal accident insurance or ambulance cover for students. 

Parents and guardians of students, who do not have student accident insurance/ambulance cover, are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including the cost of ambulance attendance/transport and any other transport costs. Please note that if First Aid trained staff believe an ambulance to be necessary, they will ring for one immediately. Parents and Guardians are not consulted before this decision is made. 

Student accident insurance/ambulance cover policies are available from some commercial insurers.

Congratulations to the following students who received awards during our assemblies!

Keep up the great work!

Students of the Week – Ending 6th February

Students of the Week – Ending 13th February

Congratulations to the following students who are celebrating a birthday in February!

We hope you had a lovely day!

Prince  34C

Xander 34I

Connor 34D

Aveer 34I

Tommy 34A

Zehra 56C

Tualasa 2A

Suka PF

Eshaal 1E

Rugved 34C

Kaupulu 1G

Chimdalu PF

Zayden 1D

Shishir 34F

Rad 56D

Gurnawab PB

Luyanda 34F

Elena 1F

Aaryan 2B

Samuel 56H

Savreen PE

Rayan 34C

Daniel 34D

Samar 1A

Manroop 2D

Mehtaab 56H

Joonas 56D

Ammon 56G

*Please note that birthdays are only published up until the date of publication.  

Important Dates – Term 1

• Wednesday 18th February – Meet & Greet Afternoon
• Friday 20th February – Parent Helpers Session
• Monday 9th March – Public Holiday- Labor Day
• 2026 NAPLAN Years 3 & 5 – NAPLAN schedule from 11^th March to 23^rd March
• Friday 27th March – National Young Leaders Day Year 5/6 – School Captain and House Captains
• Wednesday 1^st April – Colour Run – incorporating House Spirit Day